THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

RIVERSIDE 


7? 


LIBRARY  BOOKBINDING 


i 


LIBRARY^ 
BOOKBINDING 


BY  ARTHUR  LJ.  BAILEY 

Librarian  Wilmington  (Delaware)  Institute  Free  Library 


THE  H.  W.  WILSON  COMPANY 

WHITE  PLAINS,  N.  Y.(  AND  NEW  YORK  CITY 

1916 


J53J 


Published  May,  1916 

Copyright,    1916 
By  THE  H.  W.  WILSON  COMPANY 


PREFACE 

It  has  been  the  purpose  of  the  writer  in  these 
chapters  on  library  bookbinding  to  set  forth  as 
clearly  as  possible  the  best  information  relating  to 
processes,  materials,  routine  and  various  other  lesser 
matters  pertaining  to  bookbinding  which  must  be 
taken  into  consideration  by  librarians,  or  by  assist- 
ants in  charge  of  binding  departments.  Although 
much  of  this  information  exists  elsewhere  in  printed 
form,  it  is  scattered  through  various  books  and  arti- 
cles. In  some  respects,  therefore,  this  book  is  a 
gathering  together  of  scattered  material.  It  is  hoped, 
however,  that  there  is  enough  new  material  to  make 
the  book  of  interest  to  those  who  deal  daily  with 
binding  problems,  and  that  the  book  as  a  whole  may 
help  to  solve  some  of  the  questions  relating  to  bind- 
ing in  libraries  both  large  and  small. 

Most  books  on  binding  and  all  books  on  library 
binding  have  devoted  some  space  to  paper,  its  com- 
position, manufacture,  finish  and  use.  As  the  subject 
is  so  fully  dealt  with  elsewhere  it  has  not  been  in- 
cluded here.  Those  who  are  interested  will  find  full 
information  in  the  technical  books  on  paper,  in  Mr. 
Dana's  "Notes  on  book  binding  for  libraries,"  and 
in  Messrs.  Courts  and  Stephen's  "Manual  of  library 
binding."  -  There  is  also  an  excellent  article  on  wood- 


VI  PREFACE 

pulp  paper  in  the  Scientific  American  of  October  4, 


Nor  has  it  seemed  desirable  to  include  chapters 
on  commercial  binding  nor  on  historical  bindings. 
Both  of  these  subjects  are  treated  adequately  in 
Coutts  and  Stephen's  "Manual."  The  present  writer 
has  limited  his  discussion  to  matters  dealing  directly 
with  the  binding  of  books  for  libraries. 

In  one  or  two  cases  the  same  subject  has  been 
treated  in  two  different  chapters  because  the  subject 
matter  belonged  in  both  places,  and  in  neither  case 
would  the  discussion  be  complete  without  it. 

A.    L.    B. 
December  9,  1915. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 

Chapter     -  I.  Introduction    3 

II.  Selection  of  a  binder 9 

III.  Processes    13 

l-IV.  Materials    51 

V.  Specifications 87 

VI.  Binding  before  purchase  and  rein- 
forcing     103 

VII.  Cost  115 

VIII.  Preparing  for  the  bindery 125 

IX.  Binding  records  and  routine 149 

X.  Repairing,    recasing,    reecovering, 

etc 165 

XI.  Magazine  binders 199 

XII.  Pamphlets    205 

XIII.  Bindery  in  the  library  building. .  .209 

Appendix   A.     Specifications  of  the  U.  S.  Bureau 

of  Standards  for  book  cloths. .  .217 

B.  Reading  list  on  binding 221 

C.  List  of  technical  terms 225 

Index    245 


LIBRARY  BOOKBINDING 


LIBRARY  BOOKBINDING 

CHAPTER   I 
INTRODUCTION 

An  examination  of  the  annual  reports  of  libraries 
in  the  United  States  shows  that  from  four  to  eight 
per  cent  of  the  total  income  is  spent  for  binding;  the 
amounts  ranging  from  $2,000  to  over  $40,000  a  year 
for  this  one  item.  It  must  be  admitted  that  these  are 
large  sums  and  that  a  knowledge  of  binding  materi- 
als and  processes  is  necessary  in  order  to  spend  this 
money  wisely.  In  many  libraries  the  appropriation 
for  books  includes  binding  and  periodicals.  It  is 
evident,  therefore,  that  every  dollar  saved  on  binding 
can  be  devoted  to  the  purchase  of  books.  And  what 
librarian  does  not  desire  more  money  for  new  books? 

In  spite  of  the  importance  of  the  subject  a  great 
deal  of  ignorance  has  prevailed  in  years  pasj:,  and 
far  too  many  librarians  of  the  present  day  fail  to 
realize  that  here  is  one  place  where  money  can  be 
easily  wasted.  Possibly  one  reason  for  the  ignorance 
about  binding  is  that,  except  in  a  minor  degree,  it 
does  not  directly  affect  the  public,  for  librarians  are 
quick  to  make  changes  which  will  increase  the  inter- 
est of  the  public  in  the  library.  Another  reason  is 
that  experiments  are  necessary;  and  since  it  takes 


4  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

time  to  draw  conclusions  from  experiments,  definite 
rules  have  not  been  formulated. 

In  fact,  experiments  are  still  being  tried.  But 
while  in  the  past  they  were  along  the  line  of 
making  books  stronger,  the  experiments  of  the  pres- 
ent are  rather  along  the  line  of  adapting  different 
methods  to  different  books,  according  to  the  paper 
on  which  they  are  printed,  or  according  to  the  kind 
of  use  they  will  receive.  It  is  reasonably  safe  to 
say  that  present  methods  of  the  best  library  binders 
make  a  book  as  strong  as  it  is  possible  to  make  it. 
Progress  no  longer  lies  along  the  line  of  strength. 

In  order  to  administer  a  binding  department 
wisely,  the  librarian  or  assistant  in  charge  of  bind- 
ing must  know  materials,  processes,  and  books;  and 
especially  must  he  know  how  books  should  be  bound 
to  meet  the  use  they  are  to  receive.  For  example, 
fiction  that  is  very  popular  should  be  bound  differ- 
ently from  fiction  which  must  be  kept  on  the  shelves, 
but  which  is  not  popular;  it  is  easily  apparent  that 
McCutcheon's  "Graustark"  should  be  bound  differ- 
ently from  Henry  James'  "Golden  bowl."  Heavy 
reference  books  constantly  consulted  should  be  bound 
differently  from  reference  books  used  only  occasion- 
ally, while  it  may  be  wise  to  bind  magazines  differ- 
ently from  either.  A  librarian  of  a  reference  library 
will  adopt  methods  differing  from  those  which  are 
used  in  public  libraries.  A  good  working  knowledge 
of  materials  and  processes  can  be  easily  obtained. 
The  saving  of  expense  comes  in  applying  them  to 
use. 

A  recent  advertisement  of   a  binder   stated  that 


INTRODUCTION  5 

his  books  were  rebound  more  times  than  the  books 
of  any  other  binder.  This  statement  is  a  sad  com- 
mentary on  the  serviceability  of  his  books  and  calls 
to  mind  a  practice  of  twenty  years  ago  which  is  too 
prevalent  even  at  the  present  time.  At  that  time  it 
was  the  recognized  custom  to  bind  as  cheaply  as 
possible  books  which  circulated  rapidly  and  wore  out 
quickly.  Those  who  favor  this  custom  fail  to  realize 
that  in  the  case  of  books  which  are  constantly  used 
the  actual  cost  of  binding  does  not  depend  on  the 
initial  cost  per  volume,  but  on  the  ratio  of  cost  to 
circulation.  This  is  a  point  first  brought  out  by 
Mr.  J.  C.  Dana  in  his  "Notes  on  bookbinding  for 
libraries,"  and  one  on  which  it  is  impossible  to  lay 
too  much  emphasis.  A  book  which  costs  35c.  to 
bind  and  which  circulates  35  times  has  cost  one  cent 
for  each  time  it  has  been  issued  after  rebinding; 
while  a  book  which  has  cost  5oc.  to  bind  and  has 
been  issued  100  times  (a  fair  average  for  a  5oc.  bind- 
ing) costs  one  half  cent  for  each  time  it  has  been 
issued.  Obviously  the  500.  binding  is  much  cheaper. 
It  is  probable  that  the  35c.  book  must  either  be  re- 
bound at  an  additional  expense  of  35c.  or  else  a  new 
copy  must  be  purchased  at  a  cost  of  $i,  while  the 
5oc.  binding  may  carry  the  book  to  a  point  where  it 
can  be  discarded  absolutely.  Certainly  it  should 
never  be  rebound  again.  It  is  important,  therefore, 
that  the  librarian  who  does  not  know  what  his  bind- 
ing is  costing  per  issue  should  keep  statistics  of 
circulation  for  a  sufficient  length  of  time  to  obtain 
general  averages  which  will  be  fairly  accurate. 

While    a    very    strong    binding    is   necessary    for 


LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

fiction  and  juvenile  books  in  public  libraries,  it  is 
probable  that  on  many  books  of  a  serious  character 
some  of  the  strengthening  processes  which  must  be 
used  on  fiction  and  juveniles  may  be  omitted.  It 
should  be  noted  that  while  this  is  true  of  public 
libraries,  the  reverse  would  probably  be  true  in  col- 
lege and  reference  libraries  where  a  much  larger 
proportion  of  serious  books  should  be  bound  as 
strongly  as  possible. 

There  are  three  general  kinds  of  binding : 

(a)     Commercial,  or  edition  binding. 

(&)     Artistic  binding. 

(c)     Library  binding. 

Commercial  binding  is  that  in  which  practically 
all  books  come  from  the  publishers.  For  the  most 
part  it  is  the  product  of  machinery  from  beginning 
to  end,  and  the  material  used  is  generally  poor. 
Apparently  the  sole  object  in  view  of  most  publish- 
ers is  to  turn  out  a  book  that  will  attract  the  eye. 
Strength  is  not  an  element  for  which  they  strive. 
From  their  point  of  view  they  cannot  be  severely 
blamed  for  making  strength  a  secondary  considera- 
tion. By  far  the  largest  part  of  their  product  is  sold 
to  individuals,  and  the  strength  of  the  binding  is 
adequate  for  the  amount  of  use  that  these  books  will 
receive.  From  the  library  point  of  view,  however, 
publishers'  bindings  are  entirely  inadequate.  One 
cannot  expect,  of  course,  that  the  publisher  will  put 
a  popular  novel  into  a  binding  strong  enough  to 
meet  the  demands  of  library  use.  On  the  other 
hand,  one  cannot  blame  librarians  for  being  exas- 
perated when  heavy  books  of  travel,  history,  or 


INTRODUCTION  7 

biography  part  from  their  covers  when  they  have 
been  in  the  hands  of  less  than  ten  readers. 

The  distinguishing  characteristics  of  commercial 
binding,  and  at  the  same  time  its  greatest  weak- 
nesses, are  the  machine  sewing  and  the  insecure  way 
in  which  the  book  is  fastened  into  the  cover.  Very 
little  extra  expense  either  in  material,  care,  or  work- 
manship, would  make  most  books  outside  of  fiction 
sufficiently  strong  to  withstand  all  the  wear  that 
they  will  receive.  Unfortunately  the  publishers  fail 
to  realize  this,  and  books  by  the  thousands  come 
from  the  binderies  c'overed  on  the  back  with  the 
coarsest  kind  of  super  which  does  not  even  extend 
to  the  head  or  tail  of  the  book.  A  stouter  cloth, 
carefully  applied,  running  the  entire  length  of  the 
back  would  cost  very  little  more  per  volume,  but 
would  strengthen  it  materially. 

While  practically  all  commercial  binding  is  lack- 
ing in  strength,  this  is  due  almost  wholly  to  trade 
conditions,  for  commercial  binding  can  be  made 
exceedingly  strong.  One  has  only  to  turn  to  the 
1912  edition  of  the  Century  Dictionary  or  to  the 
United  States  Catalog,  which  are  practically  machine 
bound  throughout,  to  realize  this  fact.  However, 
until  librarians  are  united  in  their  demands  for 
stronger  bindings,  we  can  expect  to  see  the  present 
poor  work  turned  out  in  as  large  quantities  as  ever. 

There  is  another  .kind  of  binding  which  is,  if 
possible,  even  more  unsuitable  for  libraries.  This  is 
artistic  binding  which  is  done  exclusively  for  indi- 
viduals, beauty  of  appearance  being  the  chief  object 
in  view.  It  differs  from  commercial  binding  in  being 


8  LIBRARY    BOOKBINDING 

all  hand  work  instead  of  machine  work.  Since  hand 
work  is  used  and  the  main  object  in  view  is  beauty, 
it  follows,  of  course,  that  such  books  are  much 
stronger  than  those  bound  by  publishers.  But  the 
strength  of  these  books  is  in  many  cases  not  proof 
against  the  wear  that  they  would  receive  in  libraries. 
No  special  methods  of  sewing  or  strengthening  the 
first  and  last  sections  are  used.  Practically  all  artis- 
tic books  are  bound  in  leather  and  frequently  in  full 
leather.  Whenever  the  leather  used  is  anything 
other  than  good  morocco,  it  is  an  element  of  weak- 
ness rather  than  strength.  In  addition  to  these  ob- 
jections, artistic  bindings  are  usually  so  expensive  as 
to  be  beyond  the  reach  of  any  library. 

In  library  binding  the  main  consideration  is 
strength.  Not  only  is  beauty  a  secondary  considera- 
tion, it  is  scarcely  taken  into  consideration  at  all. 
For  it  must  be  confessed  that  library  bindings  are 
seldom  attractive.  No  library  can  afford  to  pay  for 
ornamentation  of  backs  and  sides  of  books.  Library 
binding  is  all  hand  work.  Although  machine  bind- 
ing can  be  made  exceedingly  strong,  machines  can- 
not be  used  on  library  binding,  because  the  books 
vary  so  much  in  size  and  lettering.  The  main  rea- 
son why  commercial  binding  can  be  done  by  machin- 
ery is  because  a  large  number  of  books  are  bound 
exactly  alike.  In  library  binding  it  seldom  happens 
that  more  than  two  volumes,  the  same  in  size  and 
lettering,  are  bound  at  the  same  time.  Library  bind- 
ing also  differs  from  other  bindings  in  that  the  use 
the  book  is  to  receive  is  made  the  basis  of  selection 
of  materials  and  methods. 


CHAPTER   II 
SELECTION    OF   A   BINDER 

Since  library  binding  differs  widely  from  other 
kinds  of  binding,  it  follows  naturally  that  it  is  best 
to  have  this  work  done  by  men  who  understand  its 
special  requirements.  Unfortunately,  there  are  com- 
paratively few  binders  who  make  a  specialty  of  this 
kind  of  work.  Librarians  of  most  of  the  smaller 
libraries  are  forced  by  local  prejudice  to  give  their 
work  to  the  local  binder  or  to  the  nearest  outside 
binder  in  order  to  save  the  expense  of  transporta- 
tion. If  the  work  is  sent  to  the  local  binder,  it  must 
be  sent  to  one  who  is  doing  other  kinds  of  binding 
and  to  whom  the  library  work  is,  in  a  way,  a  minor 
consideration.  He  would  object  if  the  work  were 
sent  out  of  town,  but  the  total  amount  of  the  library 
work  is  small  compared  with  his  other  work.  Such 
binders  usually  have  one  way  for  binding  all  books 
(except  those  which  come  under  the  head  of  blank- 
book  work)  and  the  library  books  go  through  the 
regular  process  of  being  sewed  on  twine  and  put 
into  covers  with  no  special  reinforcements.  The 
materials  used  are  not  the  best  and  the  workmanship 
is  generally  poor.  Local  binders,  realizing  that  the 
funds  are  usually  inadequate  for  the  needs  of  the 
library,  frequently  do  this  work  at  a  price  which  at 
first  sight  seems  cheap.  When,  however,  the  poor 


10  LIBRARY    BOOKBINDING 

service  which  the  bindings  give  is  taken  into  consid- 
eration the  price  is  really  very  high.  Many  of  these 
binders  have  been  in  business  for  years ;  and  al- 
though they  may  be  good  workmen  and  do  honest 
work,  they  are  very  sure  that  they  know  more  about 
binding  than  any  librarian,  and  it  is  with  difficulty 
that  they  can  be  prevailed  upon  to  adopt  suggestions. 

It  is  only  fair,  of  course,  that  a  library  which  is 
supported  either  in  whole  or  in  part  by  public  funds 
should,  when  possible,  have  its  work  done  by  resi- 
dents of  the  town.  For  this  reason,  therefore,  the 
librarian  should  learn  in  just  what  ways  good  library 
binding  differs  from  other  binding.  All  the  good 
materials  and  processes,  and  all  the  various  methods 
of  strengthening  a  book  should  be  studied  carefully 
so  that  the  binder  can  be  told  exactly  how  the  work 
should  be  done.  The  binder  will  probably  rebel,  but 
perhaps  he  can  be  converted  and  the  effort  is  worth 
while. 

If  the  binder  fails  to  grasp  the  ideas  of  the  libra- 
rian, or  refuses  to  carry  them  out,  the  work  should 
be  sent  out  of  town  to  a  good  binder,  for  deference 
to  local  prejudice  does  not  require  that  the  effi- 
ciency of  the  library  be  impaired-.  When  work  is 
sent  out  of  town  the  librarian  is  somewhat  at  a  dis- 
advantage, for  no  examination  of  the  work  can  be 
made  while  the  books  are  in  process.  That  the 
binder  chosen  should  do  honest  work  goes  without 
saying.  The  work  of  a  dishonest  or  incompetent 
binder  always  shows  in  the  poor  service  which  the 
books  give,  but  inasmuch  as  dishonest  work  is  gen- 


SELECTION     OF     A     BINDER  II 

erally  covered  up,  it  takes  time  to  discover  it. 
Therefore,  great  care  must  be  taken  to  select  a  good 
binder  in  the  first  place.  Librarians  who  are  in 
doubt  should  consult  the  librarians  of  large  libraries, 
or  apply  to  the  Binding  committee  of  the  American 
Library  Association  for  the  names  of  reliable  binders. 

While  librarians  should  be  able  to  give  sugges- 
tions to  binders  who  are  not  accustomed  to  library 
binding,  and  failing  that  should  exercise  good  judg- 
ment in  selecting  a  binder  at  a  distance,  they  should 
not  expect  the  impossible.  The  writer  has  seen  books 
sent  to  binders  which  were  in  such  bad  condition 
that  no  binder  could  bind  them  satisfactorily.  Some 
librarians  expect  too  much  of  a  binder;  others  do 
not  realize  that  they  are  not  demanding  all  that  they 
should  receive- 

Having  selected  a  competent  binder  the  librarian 
should  not  insist  that  unimportant  details  be  done 
according  to  his  own  ideas.  If  the  binder  under- 
stands that  he  may  have  the  work  only  so  long  as 
he  follows  the  specifications  faithfully,  one  may 
safely  leave  the  details  to  him. 

It  should  further  be  borne  in  mind  that  good 
binding  is  seldom  obtained  at  low  prices.  A  library 
book  well  bound  requires  good  material,  good  work- 
manship and  special  reinforcements  which  take  time. 
Since  the  largest  part  of  the  cost  of  a  book  is  due 
to  the  labor  spent  on  it,  it  follows  that  low  prices 
can  prevail  only  in  those  localities  where  the  cost  of 
labor  is  below  the  standard. 

Since  workmanship  has  as  much  to  do  with  good 


12  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

binding  as  specifications  it  is  not  wise  to  submit 
specifications  to  different  binders  for  bids.  It  is 
better  to  ask  binders  to  submit  samples  of  their  work 
with  specifications  of  the  way  in  which  the  books 
are  bound.  If,  however,  it  seems  wise  to  ask  for 
bids,  it  is  far  from  wise  to  choose  the  lowest  bidder 
unless  absolutely  assured  that  the  workmanship  and 
material  will  be  satisfactory. 


CHAPTER   III 
PROCESSES 

The  processes  of  bookbinding  have  been  so  fully 
covered  in  the  books  of  Messrs.  Cockerell,  Zaehns- 
dorf,  Crane,  and  others,  that  the  need  of  further 
material  of  a  similar  character  is  not  readily  appa- 
rent. The  only  excuse  the  writer  has  to  offer  for 
discussing  the  matter  of  processes  at  any  length  is 
that  there  seems  to  exist  nowhere  any  description  of 
the  processes  that  are  used  in  the  best  library  bind- 
eries. Mr.  Dana  in  his  "Notes  on  bookbinding  for 
libraries"  touches  only  certain  points  of  the  processes 
here  and  there.  Mr.  Stephen  in  Coutts  and  Stephen's 
"Manual  of  library  binding"  has  a  chapter  on  hand 
bookbinding,  but  confines  himself  closely  to  the  gen- 
eral processes  that  have  been  in  vogue  for  years;  the 
modifications  used  in  library  binding  are  not  touched 
upon.  In  other  words  the  works  of  Cockerell, 
Zaehnsdorf,  Crane  and  others  are  too  full,  while  de- 
scriptions in  books  devoted  to  library  binding  are  not 
full  enough. 

It  is  the  purpose  of  this  chapter  to  cover  some- 
what in  detail  the  main  processes  as  they  are  carried 
out  in  the  best  library  binderies.  Explanations  of  the 
technical  terms  used  will  be  found  in  the  list  of 
technical  terms  at  the  end  of  the  book. 


14  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

Without  discussing  the  composition  of  paper  it  is 
necessary  to  state  that  the  paper  of  a  book  has  a  very 
important  effect  upon  its  binding.  Its  thickness,  ten- 
sile strength,  firmness,  toughness,  strength  after  being 
sawed  or  perforated  for  sewing,  and  strength  after 
folding,  all  have  an  effect  on  its  durability.  Espe- 
cial emphasis  must  be  laid  upon  strength  after  fold- 
ing, for  it  must  be  remembered  that  it  is  through  the 
fold  that  the  book  is  sewed.  If  a  crease  or  a  fold  in 
a  piece  of  paper  weakens  that  piece  of  paper,  it  will 
be  impossible  to  make  a  strong  book  by  sewing  in  the 
ordinary  way.  If  a  fold  has  very  little  effect  upon  the 
strength  of  the  paper  ordinary  sewing  may  be  satis- 
factory. The  folding  of  paper  in  95  per  cent  of  fic- 
tion and  juvenile  books  weakens  it  at  the  fold  over 
50  per  cent.  In  a  good  piece  of  paper  the  fold  weak- 
ens it  not  over  5  per  cent. 

The  problem  of  paper  is  a  modern  one,  due  to 
the  use  of  wood  pulp  and  other  short-fibred  materials 
in  paper  manufacture.  All  binders  complain  bitterly 
of  the  impossibility  of  binding  it  properly.  The  libra- 
rian, however,  should  know  the  way  in  which  it  can 
be  bound  to  give  the  maximum  amount  of  service 
and  should  not  allow  a  binder  to  blame  the  paper  for 
faults  which  are  due  to  his  ignorance  or  to  poor 
workmanship. 

While  the  customs  of  library  binders  vary  some- 
what according  to  the  prejudices  of  the  different  men, 
the  following  description  covers  the  binding  processes 
carried  out  at  most  binderies. 


PROCESSES  IS 

1.  TAKING  APART 

After  the  books  have  been  checked  with  the  state- 
ment of  the  librarian  to  see  that  the  correct  number 
has  been  received,  each  one  is  taken  apart  carefully 
and  all  old  threads,  glue,  paste,  etc.,  removed  from 
the  back.  If  the  book  is  in  a  regular  machine  sewed 
publisher's  cover  it  will  be  comparatively  easy  to  re- 
move old  threads  and  glue  from  the  back.  If  in  an 
old  hand  sewed  one,  it  may  be  a  little  more  difficult. 

The  book  is  first  removed  from  the  cover.  The 
first  signature  is  then  turned  back  and  threads  cut 
with  a  sharp  knife.  Generally  this  will  loosen  the 
signature  so  that  it  can  be  separated  easily  from  the 
rest  of  the  volume.  If  it  is  still  held  by  glue  and 
there  is  danger  of  injuring  the  back  of  the  signature, 
a  bone  folder  is  used.  If  the  book  had  a  tight  back 
and  the  leather,  back-lining  paper  and  glue  form  a 
very  firm  back  not  easily  separated  in  the  manner  de- 
scribed, the  glue  may  be  softened  with  paste  or  warm 
water,  with  care  necessary  to  prevent  the  dampness 
from  penetrating  the  book. 

2.  COLLATION 

The  book  should  then  be  collated.  The  best 
library  binders  make  themselves  responsible  for 
page  collation  but  they  do  not  bother  to  see  that  all 
plates,  illustrations,  maps,  etc.,  which  may  be  called 
for  by  the  table  of  contents,  are  in  proper  place.  In 
the  case  of  periodicals  they  do  not  always  disc'over 
the  fact  that  certain  parts,  not  included  in  the  main 


16  LIBRARY    BOOKBINDING 

paging,  are  missing.  Their  collation  is  that  of  main 
paging  only.  Periodicals  must,  therefore,  have  title 
page,  table  of  contents  and  index  in  their  proper 
places.  Books  with  two  or  more  main  pagings  or 
many  unpaged  illustrations  must  be  collated  at  the 
library.  (See  Preparing  for  the  bindery,  p.  132.) 

3.  KNOCKING  DOWN 

(a)  Backs  of  signatures  are  then  pounded  down 
so  that  they  may  be  as  nearly  as  possible  the  same 
thickness  as  the  front  of  the  signatures.  Care  must 
be  taken  to  have  a  clean  hammer  and  to  let  it  fall 
evenly  on  the  paper.  If  the  backs  are  not  properly 
jjounded  down  there  is  likely  to  be  too  much  swell  in 
the  back  of  the  book  when  it  is  finally  sewed.  In  all 
the  first  processes  of  binding  the  question  of  undue 
swelling  of  the  back  must  be  taken  into  consideration. 

(6)  If  the  book  must  be  overcast  when  it  comes 
to  be  sewed,  the  back  is  not  only  pounded  down  at 
this  stage,  but  it  is  also  put  under  the  knife  and  en- 
tirely cut  off,  leaving  single  leaves  instead  of  folded 
sections.  If  it  is  not  pounded  it  cannot  be  cut  prop- 
erly. The  success  of  overcasting  depends  largely  on 
the  amount  of  margin  at  the  back,  so  that  care  must 
be  taken  not  to  cut  more  than  is  absolutely  necessary. 

4.  MENDING 

Leaves  are  mended  with  thin  tough  paper.  The 
librarian  should  not,  however,  expect  binders  to  mend 
books  which  have  a  large  number  of  torn  leaves 
without  making  an  extra  charge. 


PROCESSES  17 

5.  GLUING 

Books  which  are  to  be  overcast  and  which  have 
had  the  backs  cut  off  are  slightly  glued  to  hold  the 
leaves  together.  A  sufficient  number  can  then  be 
taken  off  and  handled  as  a  section  without  coming 
apart. 

6.  FLY  LEAVES  GUARDED 

Fly-leaves,  made  of  kraft  or  manila  paper  running 
about  60  pounds  to  the  ream,  which  have  previously 
been  guarded  with  cloth  are  added  to  the  book.  In 
guarding,  a  strip  of  cloth  is  pasted  around  the  back 
of  the  folded  fly-leaf  covering  about  one  quarter  of 
an  inch  on  each  side.  When  the  book  is  sewed  the 
needle  passes  through  the  cloth  as  well  as  the  paper. 
Different  binders  use  different  materials  for  guard- 
ing fly-leaves,  end  papers  and  signatures.  It  must, 
however,  be  a  cloth  of  close  weave,  strong,  and  light 
in  weight.  The  English  cloth  called  jaconet,  used  by 
some  binders,  is  probably  as  satisfactory  as  any. 

This  is  one  part  of  library  binding  which  differs 
radically  from  the  custom  in  ordinary  hand  work. 
Old-fashioned  binders,  unless  properly  instructed,  will 
simply  fold  a  piece  of  paper,  and  tip  it  on  to  the  first 
and  last  signatures  with  paste,  thus  forming  an  ele- 
ment of  weakness  instead  of  strength.  When  the 
fly-leaves  are  guarded  and  properly  sewed  they  be- 
come an  integral  part  of  the  book  and  no  tipping  is 
necessary. 

7.  SECTIONS  GUARDED 

At  this  point  it  is  also  necessary  to  guard  the  first 


l8  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

and  last  signatures  of  books  which  are  to  be  sewed 
in  the  regular  way.  Overcast  books  do  not  need  such 
guards. 

Guarding  of  first  and  last  signatures  is  another 
of  the  distinctive  features  of  library  binding.  In  the 
case  of  books  bound  in  the  regular  fashion  the  sew- 
ing invariably  first  gives  way  at  the  first  and  last  sig- 
natures. Guarding  with  jaconet  prevents  the  threads 
which  lie  in  the  middle  of  the  signatures  from  pulling 
through  the  paper.  This  method  is  essential  if  it 
is  supposed  that  the  book  will  be  much  used.  It 
is  not  essential  for  books  which  will  be  used  only 
occasionally. 

8.  ILLUSTRATIONS  GUARDED 

Illustrations  are  guarded  with  a  thin,  tough  paper, 
not  with  cloth.  The  guard  folds  around  an  adjoining 
signature  and  is  sewed  through. 

9.  SAWING 

If  the  book  is  not  to  be  overcast,  it  is  screwed 
tightly  into  the  backing-press  and  sawed  to  make,  the 
grooves  in  which  the  bands  or  twines  are  laid  when 
the  book  is  sewed.  Grooves  for  three  bands  must 
be  made  for  books  eight  inches  high,  four  for 
twelve-inch  books  and  five  for  fifteen-inch  books. 
For  fiction  two  bands  are  used.  There  must  also 
be  two  additional  grooves,  much  shallower  than  the 
others,  about  one  half  inch  from  the  head  and  tail  of 
the  book  for  the  kettlestitch. 

After  the  grooves  for  kettlestitch  have  been  sawed 
the  two  grooves  for  bands  will  divide  the  rest  of  the 


PROCESSES  19 

back  into  three  equal  parts.  For  fine  work  it  is  ne- 
cessary to  measure  the  book  carefully  and  mark  with 
a  pencil ;  but  in  most  library  work  measurement  by 
the  eye  alone  is  sufficient.  In  sawing,  care  must  be 
taken  not  to  saw  too  deeply,  since  too  deep  a  cut 
allows  the  signature  to  play  back  and  forth  and  is 
plainly  visible  inside. 

There  are  some  good  library  binders  who  over- 
cast books  in  the  modern  way,  and  yet  who  sew  on 
bands.  Such  binders  will  at  this  point  saw  all  books. 
There  are  also  some  good  library  binders  who  use  no 
bands  when  overcasting  and  who  sew  all  other  books 
on  tapes.  These  binders  omit  sawing. 

10.  END  PAPERS  ADDED 

At  this  point  it  is  best  to  add  end  papers.  These 
are  always  guarded  on  the  outside  of  the  fold  and 
sometimes  on  the  inside.  They  should  be  made  of 
good,  strong  paper  somewhat  heavier  than  that  used 
for  fly-leaves.  Some  binders  have  special  papers 
made  to  order  with  a  design  which  serves  as  a  trade 
mark.  End  papers,  in  the  same  way  as  fly-leaves,  are 
prepared  with  guards  in  quantity  and  simply  need  to 
be  trimmed  to  the  size  of  the  book.  They  are  not 
added  at  the  same  time  as  fly-leaves  because  they 
must  not  be  sawed.  If  this  is  done  the  holes  show 
through  after  the  end  paper  is  pasted  down. 

11.  SEWING 

Regular  or  Bench  Sewing.  When  the  signatures 
are  ready  for  sewing,  twines  (or  "bands"  as  they  are 


20 


LIBRARY    BOOKBINDING 


FIGURE  i. — Sewing  bench  showing  bands  adjusted. 

commonly  called)  are  stretched  taut  on  the  sewing 
bench  and  adjusted  so  that  they  will  fit  into  the  saw- 
cuts  in  signatures.  (Fig.  i.) 

The  book  is  placed  back  of  the  sewing  bench  with 
the  fore-edge  toward  the  sewer  and  with  the  first 
section  on  top.  The  first  section  (i.  e.  the  end  paper) 
to  be  sewed  is  then  turned  over,  opened  in  the  middle 
by  the  left  hand,  and  placed  on  the  sewing  bench. 
The  sewer,  as  she  faces  toward  the  right,  with  the 
right  hand  passes  the  needle  from  the  outside  through 
the  sawcut  for  the  kettlestitch,  where  it  is  taken  by 
the  left  hand  along  the  inside  of  the  section  and 
passed  out  on  the  near  side  of  the  first  band,  then  in 
again  on  the  far  side  of  the  first  band,  along  the  in- 
side of  the  section  to  the  second  band,  where  the 
process  is  repeated ;  and  so  on,  bringing  the  needle 


PROCESSES 


21 


out  in  the  far  kettlestitch.  (Fig.  2.)  The  thread  is 
pulled  tight  at  each  stitch  and  about  two  inches  of 
thread  is  allowed  to  hang  from  the  first  kettlestitch. 
In  some  few  cases  it  may  be  advisable  to  bring  the 


FIGURE  2. — Sewing  on  sunken  cords.  Based  on  illustration  in 
Report  of  the  Committee  on  Bookbinding.  Edited  for 
Society  of  Arts,  London,  1905. 


LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 


needle  out  on  the  far  side  of  the  band  and  in  again 
on  the  near  side,  thus  entirely  encircling  the  band 
with  the  thread.  The  next  section  (i.  e.  the  fly- 
leaves) is  then  laid  on  and  the  process  repeated,  ex- 
cept that  the  sewing  proceeds  from  the  far  end  to 
the  near  end.  When  the  thread  is  brought  out  of  the 


i_ 


FIGURE  3. — Kettle  stitch. 

kettle  stitch  of  the  second  section  the  end  of  the 
thread  left  projecting  from  the  first  section  is  securely 
tied  to  it,  and  the  sewer  proceeds  with  the  third  sec- 
tion This  will  be  the  first  signature  of  the  book.  On 
reaching  the  last  sawcut  at  the  far  end  in  the  third 
section  the  needle  is  put  between  the  second  and  first 
sections  carrying  the  thread  down  in  such  a  way  as 
to  form  a  buttonhole  stitch.  (Fig.  3.) 

All  other  signatures  are  sewed  in  the  same  way, 
the  last  section  sewed  being  securely  fastened  to  the 
others.  It  is  possible  to  sew  a  number  of  books  one 
after  another  without  removing  them  from  the  sew- 
ing-bench. If  the  back  swells  unduly  the  sections  can 
be  pounded  down  with  a  piece  of  wood,  care  being 
taken  not  to  drive  them  inward  The  sewing  should 
be  neither  too  loose  nor  too  tight.  If  too  loose  a  firm, 
compact  book  cannot  be  made;  if  too  tight  the 


PROCESSES  23 

threads  may  break  in  the  process  of  backing.  Bands 
are  allowed  to  project  about  an  inch  on  each  side  of 
the  book. 

Formerly  it  was  the  practice  of  some  binders  to 
sew  in  a  way  technically  called  "two-on."  This 
simply  means  that  the  sewer  when  reaching  the 
middle  of  the  signature,  passes  the  needle  into  the 
corresponding  sawcut  of  the  signature  above  and 
sews  through  to  the  other  end.  This  always  leaves 
an  end  of  a  signature  unsewed.  This  way  of  sewing 
is  permissible  on  books  which  have  a  large  number 
of  thin  signatures,  in  order  to  prevent  the  thread 
from  unduly  swelling  the  back.  It  is  never  permis- 
sible on  other  books. 

The  foregoing  account  gives  a  very  brief  descrip- 
tion of  ordinary  sewing.  It  is  easily  understood 
when  once  seen.  Librarians  who  have  charge  of 
binding  should  keep  the  process  thoroughly  in  mind 
for  it  is  the  most  important  single  process  in  the 
making  of  a  book.  Such  sewing  will  be  used  on  a 
large  number  of  books  which  have  to  be  rebound,  but 
a  still  larger  number,  practically  all  fiction  and  juve- 
nile books,  should  be  sewed  in  a  different  manner; 
that  is,  with  some  kind  of  an  overcast  stitch. 

Overcasting.  The  modern  overcasting  stitch  re- 
sembles in  principle  the  old-fashioned  whipstitching, 
but  differs  radically  in  actual  performance.  It  is 
exceedingly  strong,  while  the  old-fashioned  whip- 
stitching is  not.  It  has  been  objected  that  modern 
overcasting  takes  away  much  of  the  flexibility  of  a 
book  and  that  books  once  sewed  in  this  way  can  never 


24  LIBRARY    BOOKBINDING 

be  rebound.  It  is  true  that  an  oversewed  book  is  not 
as  flexible  as  one  sewed  through  the  signatures,  yet 
most  of  them  are  more  flexible  than  one  might  sup- 
pose. It  is  also  true  that  the  book  can  never  be  re- 
bound, but  if  the  overcasting  is  properly  done,  the 
sewing  will  last  until  the  book  is  discarded.  It  is  for 
this  reason  that  it  is  used  on  practically  all  fiction  and 
juvenile  books. 

According  to  the  old-fashioned  method  of  whip- 
stitching it  was  the  custom  to  cut  off  the  backs  of 
signatures,  glue  them  slightly,  take  a  few  leaves  and 
sew  them  over  and  over  making  five  or  six  stitches 
to  a  section,  as  shown  in  Figure  4.  The  next  section 
was  then  sewed  in  the  same  way,  but  it  was  not 
joined  in  any  way  to  the  section  beneath  except  by 
the  kettlestitch  and  occasionally  by  a  little  paste. 
When  sewed  in  this  way  the  leaves  inside  of  each 
arbitrary  section  would  open  only  as  far  back  as  the 


FIGURE    4. — Old-fashioned    whipstitching, 
sewed  separately. 


Each    section    is 


PROCESSES  25 

threads  of  the  stitches,  while  between  the  sections  the 
book  would  open  to  the  back  of  the  section.  If  paste 
had  been  used  the  strain  of  opening  tended  to  pull  the 
leaves  apart.  If  the  book  was  subjected  to  hard  wear 
the  thread  cut  into  the  paper. 

Today  every  progressive  library  binder  has  a 
special  method  of  overcasting  arid  each  claims  that 
his  method  is  the  best.  Librarians,  however,  can  see 
many  points  of  resemblance  between  them,  and  few 
points  of  difference.  In  actual  wearing  qualities  the 
sewing  of  one  seems  as  good  as  that  of  another. 
When  properly  done  the  sewing  prescribed  by  all  of 
the  methods  is  still  in  good  condition  when  the  books 
have  to  be  withdrawn  from  circulation,. 

In  overcasting,  as  in  old-fashioned  whipstitching, 
the  sewer  selects  a  certain  number  of  sheets  for  sew- 
ing. Bands  are  placed  on  the  sewing-bench  as  in 
regular  sewing,  though  some  binders  claim  that  it 
is  not  necessary  to  sew  either  on  bands  or  tapes. 
The  sections  are  first  perforated  by  a  machine  to 
facilitate  the  work  of  the  sewer  and  to  insure  that  all 
stitches  shall  be  equidistant  from  the  back  of  the 
book.  So  far  as  is  known  no  machine  for  this  pur- 
pose is  on  the  market.  It  is  certain,  however,  that 
the  best  binders  have  machines  for  this  purpose. 
They  have  either  designed  their  own  machines  or 
have  adapted  those  made  for  other  purposes.  If  the 
book  is  printed  on  thick,  spongy  paper  it  will  increase 
flexibility  if  the  paper  is  creased  along  the  line  of 
perforation. 

It    is    difficult   to   give   a   description   of   modern 


FIGURE  5. — One  kind  of  modern  overcast  stitch.  There  are 
others  equally  good.  Note  that  each  stitch  extends 
through  two  sections. 

overcasting  which  can  be  easily  understood  by  one 
unfamiliar  with  sewing  processes.  The  reader  will 
be  helped  by  looking  closely  at  Figure  5  while  read- 
ing the  following  description,  but  one  can  understand 
it  best  by  seeing  it  done  or  by  tearing  a  book  apart 
and  examining  the  sewing. 

The  first  section  of  the  book  is  sewed  over  and 
over  in  the  same  way  as  in  the  old-fashioned  method 
of  whipstitching,  except  that  a  great  many  more 
stitches  are  taken.  The  second  section,  when  placed 
on  the  first,  is  also  sewed  over  and  over  but  a  certain 
number  of  stitches  are  also  made  which  connect  the 
second  section  with  the  first.  In  the  same  way  the 
third  section  is  sewed  to  the  second  and  so  on  through 
the  book,  so  that  when  the  book  is  finally  sewed  it  is 
tight  and  compact;  its  weakness  lies  in  the  paper  it- 
self, not  in  the  sewing.  Some  binders  add  three 


PROCESSES 


kettlestitches  at  the  end  of  the  book  instead  of  one, 
believing  that  when  all  kettlestitches  are  placed  in  one 
saw-cut  the  swell  at  the  head  and  tail  of  the  book  is 
too  great. 

Overcasting  is  the  most  expensive  way  of  sewing 
a  book,  so  that  it  is  advantageous  to  binders  to  place 
as  large  a  number  of  leaves  as  possible  in  a  section. 


OVERSEWING 


ORDINARY  METHOD 
OF  SEWING  THROUGH 


FIGURE  6. — From   "About   Public   Library   Books  and   Their 
Binding"  by  Cedric  Chivers. 


28 


LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 


FIGURE  7. — Sewing  on  tapes.  Sawcuts  made  only  for  kettle 
stitches.  Based  on  illustration  in  Report  of  the  Commit- 
tee on  Leather  for  Bookbinding.  Edited  for  Society  of 
Arts,  London,  1905. 

The  more  careful  binders,  however,  regulate  the  num- 
ber of  leaves  in  a  section  according  to  the  kind  of 
paper  in  the  book.  A  larger  number  of  leaves  can 


PROCESSES 


29 


FIGURE  8.— Stitching. 

be  taken  in  books  printed  on  thin  paper  than  in  those 
printed  on  thick,  spongy  or  heavy  papers. 

In  deciding  how  a  book  ought  to  be  sewed  one 
must  consider:  (a)  The  use  the  book  is  to  receive. 
If  it  will  not  receive  hard  usage  sew  through  the  sig- 


30  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

natures;  otherwise  overcast.  (6)  Paper  on  which 
the  book  is  printed.  Poor  paper  should  be  over- 
sewed. (Fig.  6.) 

Tapes.  When  it  does  not  seem  necessary  to  over- 
cast it  may  be  advantageous  to  sew  on  tapes  instead 
of  bands.  This  method  eliminates  saw-cuts  since  the 
narrow  tapes  are  simply  laid  against  the  back  of  the 
book  and  the  needle  passed  around  them,  as  indicated 
in  Figure  7.  Sewing  on  tapes  makes  a  book  much 
more  flexible  than  it  can  be  made  any  other  way  ex- 
cept by  sewing  on  raised  bands.  Music  should  always 
be  sewed  in  this  way.  Until  recently  it  was  supposed 
that  tapes  added  strength,  but  it  is  certain  that  they 
do  not  if  the  book  is  properly  bound  in  other  respects. 
If  used  at  all,  tapes  should  be  narrow.  Wide  ones 
take  up  a  great  deal  of  surface  and  when  glue  is  ap- 
plied this  surface  remains  untouched,  unless  the  sewer 
has  sewed  through  them  instead  of  around  them. 

Stitching.  Stitching  is  the  process  of  sewing 
loose  leaves  lengthwise  on  a  sewing  machine,  after 
which  the  stitched  sections  are  sewed  in  the  regular 
way  on  bands.  (Fig.  8.)  The  objection  made  to 
old-fashioned  whipstitching,  that  between  the  sections 
the  book  opens  all  the  way  to  the  back  while  inside 
the  section  it  opens  only  as  far  as  the  threads,  is 
equally  applicable  to  a  stitched  book.  Any  one  who 
has  read  a  book  sewed  in  this  way  will  remember  how 
difficult  it  was  to  hold  in  the  hands.  Stitching  makes 
a  stronger  book  than  the  old-fashioned  whipstitching 
but  cannot  compare  in  strength  with  the  modern 
overcasting.  In  some  few  cases  it  may  be  used  ad- 


PROCESSES  31 

vantageously  on  the  first  and  last  signatures  of  a 
book,  but  its  use  on  the  entire  book  cannot  be  too 
strongly  condemned. 

It  may  be  inferred  by  what  has  been  said  about 
sewing  that  it  is  a  comparatively  simple  matter  to  sew 
books  properly.  It  is  right  at  this  point,  however, 
that  the  librarian  and  the  binder  who  does  not  under- 
stand the  requirements  of  library  work  will  come  into 
conflict.  The  binder  will  insist  that  all  books  must  be 
sewed  on  bands.  When  the  backs  of  sections  are 
very  badly  worn  he  will  agree  to  whipstitch,  but  will 
use  the  old  method.  The  librarian  will  insist  not  only 
that  nine-tenths  of  fiction  and  juvenile  books  must  be 
overcast,  but  that  a  special  kind  of  overcasting  must 
be  used.  The  binders  who  make  a  specialty  of  library 
work  do  all  this  as  a  matter  of  course.  At  least  one 
binder  tests  the  thickness,  tensile  strength  and  other 
qualities  of  the  paper  and  sews  each  book  in  the  way 
that  experience  has  shown  to  be  the  best. 

FORWARDING 

After  the  book  is  sewed  it  goes  to  the  forwarder 
who  has  charge  of  the  book  during  all  processes 
which  the  book  passes  through  between  sewing  and 
finishing.  Forwarding  includes  trimming,  gluing, 
rounding,  backing,  putting  on  back-lining,  making 
the  case  (or  lacing-in,  see  page  42),  casing-in, 
pressing. 

12.     FLY  LEAVES  PASTED 

The  end  papers  and  fly-leaves  which  lie  together 
are  pasted  together,  making  one  thick  fly-leaf.  When 


32  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

it  is  remembered  that  both  end  papers  and  fly-leaves 
are  guarded  with  cloth,  it  will  be  seen  that  pasting 
the  two  together  adds  materially  to  the  strength  of 
the  book. 

13.  BANDS  FRAYED 

The  bands  which  project  about  an  inch  and  a  half 
on  each  side  of  the  book  are  frayed  out  at  the  end  and 
pasted  to  the  end  papers.  The  fraying  is  done  so  that 
they  will  paste  down  flat,  and  the  pasting  so  that  they 
will  be  out  of  the  way  during  succeeding  processes. 

14.  TRIMMING 

The  book  is  squared  up  by  tapping  on  a  flat  sur- 
face, and  trimmed  at  the  head,  fore-edge  and  tail.  As 
little  as  possible  must  be  trimmed,  but  binders  find 
that  if  less  than  an  eighth  of  an  inch  is  cut  the  cutting 
machine  does  not  work  well.  Trimming  makes  the 
edges  even  and  what  is  more  important  in  rebound 
books,  removes  much  dirt. 

15.  SPRINKLING 

At  this  point  edges  are  sprinkled.  This  process 
is  not  essential  either  for  strength  or  beauty,  but  it 
helps  to  keep  the  book  from  becoming  soiled,  or  at 
least  from  showing  dirt.  It  cannot  be  expected  on 
cheap  work.  The  process  was  formerly  done  by 
hand,  using  a  brush  and  shaking  the  coloring  matter 
on  the  book.  It  can  now  be  done  with  a  machine 
operated  by  hand  which  sprays  the  coloring  matter 
on  the  book.  Occasionally  the  top  of  the  book  is  bur- 
nished with  an  agate  or  blood  stone. 


PROCESSES  _3 

Occasionally  also  it  may  be  desirable  to  gild  the 
top  of  a  book  which  is  being  rebound.  When  this 
occurs  it  is  not  a  process  to  which  the  librarian  need 
give  much  attention,  except  to  be  sure  that  good  gold 
is  used. 

1 6.  GLUING 

The  back  of  the  book  is  then  slightly  glued.  The 
glue  must  be  very  hot  and  quite  thin,  and  must  be 
thoroughly  worked  into  the  back.  By  placing  books 
in  a  pile  a  number  can  be  done  at  a  time, 

17.  ROUNDING 

As  soon  as  the  glue  has  stiffened  but  before  it  is 
hard  the  book  is  rounded.  This  must  be  done  by  ex- 
perts and  is  a  process  which  must  be  seen  to  be 
understood.  The  book  is -placed  on  the  table  with  the 
fore  edge  toward  the  workman  who  then  hammers 
the  part  of  the  back  lying  uppermostjn  such  a  way  as 
to  force  the  upper  part  of  the  book  toward  the  work- 
man. The  book  is  then  turned  over  and  the  process 
repeated.  After  a  few  operations  like  this  the  back 
of  the  book  becomes  rounded  and  the  fore  edge 
concave. 

18.  BACKING 

The  book  is  then  placed  in  a  backing  press  allow- 
ing about  an  eight  of  an  inch  to  project,  and  screwed 
very  tight.  With  a  backing  hammer  the  rounding 
process  is  continued  and  the  sides  of  the  book  forced 
down  over  the  edge  of  the  press  to  form  a  projection 
against  which  the  edge  of  the  board  for  the  side  rests, 
forming  the  joint.  In  hammering,  the  workman  be- 


34 


LIBRARY    BOOKBINDING 


gins  at  the  proper  distance  from  the  center  of  the 
back  so  that  he  can  force  the  backs  of  the  other  sig- 
natures over  on  each  side  toward  the  edge.  (Fig.  9.) 
This  process  is  the  most  important  one  in  for- 
warding, calling  for  skilled  labor.  If  the  hammer  is 
not  used  in  exactly  the  right  way  the  backs  of  the 


FIGURE  9. — A  book  rounded  and  backed. 

signatures  may  be  crushed  in,  the  stitches  broken,  or 
the  paper  or  bands  cut.  In  any  case  the  book  is  mate- 
rially weakened.  A  good  workman  will  make  a  sharp 
joint  and  round  the  book  perfectly  without  injuring 
its  strength  in  any  way. 

19.     BACK  LINING 

All  books  have  a  lining  of  one  kind  or  another  on 
the  back.     Machine-bound  books  are  generally  lined 


PROCESSES  35 

with  a  coarse  "super,"  as  it  is  called  in  this  country, 
or  "mull"  as  it  is  called  in  England.  Some  library 
binders  use  a  thin  muslin,  but  the  best  material  is  can- 
ton flannel  cut  in  strips  wide  enough  to  cover  the 
back  of  the  book  and  also  to  project  about  one  inch 
on  each  side.  The  back  of  the  book  is  glued,  while 
the  nap  or  fuzzy  side  of  the  canton  flannel  is  pasted 
and  then  put  on  the  back  and  well  rubbed  down.  It 
is  very  important  that  both  the  glue  and  the  paste  be 
used.  Experience  has  proved  that  when  only  one  is 
used  the  canton  flannel  will  come  off,  but  when  both 
are  used,  it  becomes  an  integral  part  of  the  book. 

The  flannel  which  projects  on  the  sides  must  be 
pasted  to  the  end  papers.  When  the  paste  and  the 
glue  have  dried,  the  canton  flannel  shrinks  tight  to 
the  back  and  adds  materially  to  the  strength  of  the 
book.  After  drying  the  flannel  is  trimmed  at  the 
head  and  tail  close  to  the  back. 

If  the  book  is  a  valuable  one  that  will  receive  hard 
usage  and  therefore  should  be  as  strong  as  possible, 
the  flesh  side  of  a  piece  of  split  goat  skin  can  be  used 
for  back-lining,  covering  the  back  from  joint  to  joint. 
It  will  seldom  be  necessary,  however,  to  employ  this 
method. 

Perhaps  nothing  better  shows  the  difference  be- 
tween old  methods  of  library  binding  and  new  than 
this  one  item  of  backlining.  In  the  old  methods  the 
binders  depended  for  strength  largely  upon  the  bands. 
In  the  new  the  bands  are  practically  immaterial  when 
the  book  is  fastened  into  the  cover. 


36  >       LIBRARY   BOOKBINDING 

20.  REBACKING 

At  this  point  some  binders  reback  to  make  a  sharp 
joint,  and  to  make  the  book  open  more  easily.  When 
the  canton  flannel  dries  it  may  pull  the  back  somewhat 
out  of  shape.  It  is  doubtful,  however,  if  rebacking  is 
always  necessary. 

21.  BOARDS  CUT 

The  book  is  then  measured  for  boards  which  are 
cut  to  the  proper  size.  In  measuring  it  must  be  re- 
membered that  the  boards  must  project  an  eighth  of 
an  inch  on  all  edges  (except  the  back)  forming  what 
is  called  the  "squares."  It  will  also  make  a  difference 
in  measuring  if  the  book  is  to  have  a  French  joint. 
(See  page  46.) 

22.  CLOTH  CUT 

If  the  book  is  to  be  bound  in  cloth,  this  is  cut  the 
proper  size.  If  leather  backs  are  to  be  used  the  cov- 
ering material  consists  of  two  pieces  of  cloth  and  one 
of  leather,  all  of  which  must  be  cut  to  the  proper  size. 

23.  LOOSE  BACK 

If  the  book  is  to  be  made  a  loose  back,  a  piece 
of  coarse  paper  is  cut  the  size  of  the  book  from  joint 
to  joint  and  the  length  of  the  back.  This  is  placed 
in  the  book. 

24.  MAKING  THE  CASE 

(a)  The  cloth  for  a  full  cloth  book  is  now  glued 
all  over  on  the  inside.  The  boards  are  adjusted  on 
the  book  ("setting  the  square,"  as  the  binders  call  it) 


PROCESSES  37 

as  they  ought  to  be  when  the  book  is  finally  bound, 
and  the  book  is  placed  on  the  right-hand  side  of  the 
glued  cloth,  with  the  back  toward  the  middle  of  the 
case,  leaving  enough  cloth  projecting  on  all  sides  to 
turn  in.  The  other  side  of  the  case  is  then  drawn  up 
over  the  board  on  top  and  pressed  down  firmly 
enough  so  that  when  it  is  laid  back  again,  the  board 
which  has  b'een  uppermost  goes  with  it.  The  book 
itself  is  laid  aside.  The  paper  which  is  to  prevent  the 
glued  cloth  from  sticking  to  the  back  of  the  book  is 
then  placed  in  the  space  between  the  two  boards,  and 
all  edges  of  the  cloth  turned  in  on  the  boards.  This 
forms  the  complete  cover  or  case. 

(&)  If  the  book  is  to  have  a  leather  back,  the 
boards  are  tipped  lightly  with  paste  to  the  end  papers, 
allowing  for  the  French  joint.  The  leather  is  pasted 
and  the  book  is  then  laid  on  the  leather  in  the  right 
position  so  that  the  rest  of  the  leather  can  be  pulled 
up  over  the  back  on  the  top  board.  The  top  cover  is 
then  laid  back,  the  paper  forming  a  loose  back  in- 
serted, the  leather  turned  in,  and  cloth  sides  put  on 
and  turned  in. 

25.  MAKING  OF  A  FRENCH  JOINT 

The  book  is  now  set  back  in  the  cover  just  de- 
scribed and  the  space  between  the  boards  and  the 
back  is  creased  with  a  bone  folder  while  the  cloth  or 
leather  is  damp.  This  forms  the  French  joint. 

26.  PASTING  DOWN  END  PAPERS 

End  papers  are  then  pasted  down  to  the  boards 
and  the  book,  so  far  as  strength  is  concerned,  is  fin- 


3§  LIBRARY    BOOKBINDING 

ished.  It  will  be  remembered  that  the  end  papers 
were  guarded  with  muslin,  or  jaconet,  that  the  bands 
projected  beyond  the  sides  and  were  pasted  to  the  end 
papers,  and  that  the  canton  flannel  also  projected 
beyond  the  sides  and  was  pasted  to  the  end  papers. 
Therefore,  when  the  end  paper  is  pasted  to  the  board 
it  carries  with  it  first  the  canton  flannel,  then  the 
bands  and  lastly  the  jaconet  guard.  This  is  as  true 
of  leather-backed  books  as  of  full  cloth. 

Strictly  speaking,  this  makes  what  is  technically 
known  as  a  "cased"  book,  i.  e.,  the  case  is  made  in 
one  whole  piece  and  the  book  fastened  into  it.  Be- 
cause leather  bound  books  have  always  been  consid- 
ered stronger  than  others,  and  because  they  have 
always  been  laced-in  to  the  boards  (see  page  42) 
before  the  leather  has  been  put  on,  a  prejudice 
against  cased  books  has  arisen.  If  the  prejudice  be 
directed  against  the  usual  commercial  binding  it  is 
justified,  but  if  directed  against  library  books  prop- 
erly cased  it  is  not  justified. 

27.     PRESSING 

At  this  stage  the  book  is  put  under  heavy  pressure 
in  the  standing  press  until  dry.  A  number  of  books 
are  placed  in  the  press  at  one  time,  separated  by 
backing  boards  having  metal  projections  which  fit 
into  the  French  joints.  They  should  be  left  twelve 
hours  at  least,  longer  if  necessary.  After  pressing, 
the  book  goes  through  a  general  cleaning  process.  In 
applying  the  glue  or  paste  there  are  many  chances  of 
soiling  the  book.  The  great  pressure  which  is  applied 


PROCESSES  39 

also  squeezes  out  glue  at  the  head  and  tail.  This 
must  all  be  cleaned  off  before  the  book  goes  to  the 
finisher. 

FINISHING 
28.    GILDING 

The  gilding  of  a  library  book  is  a  simple  matter 
compared  with  that  of  books  bound  for  individuals. 
Such  books  are  usually  meant  to  be  artistic  and  their 
covers  bear  elaborate  designs  in  gold,  generally  lim- 
ited only  by  the  size  of  the  owner's  pocketbook  or  by 
his  taste.1  In  library  binding  gilding  is  confined  to 
the  furnishing  of  necessary  information^  Tooling  of 
all  kinds,  with  the  possible  exception  of  that  which 
divides  the  back  into  panels,  is  unnecessary.  A  de- 
scription of  finishing  processes  is  unnecessary  here 
since  they  add  nothing  to  the  strength  of  a  book.,  A 
description  of  the  method  of  gilding  call  numbers  will 
be  found  on  page  194. 

There  are  three  different  ways  of  lettering  books 
bound  in  light  colored  cloths  on  which  gold  cannot 
be  used:  (a)  In  gold  on  leather  labels  pasted  to  the 
back.  (&)  In  gold  on  panels  which  have  been  stained 
black,  (c)  In  black  ink  directly  on  the  back.  The 
first  two  methods  make  more  attractive-looking  books 
but  the  process  adds  to  the  expense,  and  in  the  first 
case  the  labels  have  a  tendency  to  peel  off.  The  last 
method  is  the  one  generally  used. 

In  this  description  of  processes  numerous  details 

1  Finishing  from  the  artistic  point  of  view  with  an  excellent  descrip- 
tion of  tools,  materials  and  processes  will  be  found  in  Cockerell's 
"Binding  and  the  care  of  books,"  Chapter  14. 


4<>  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING      . 

have  been  omitted,  because  they  would  add  little,  if 
anything,  to  the  librarian's  ability  to  criticize  properly 
the  work  being  done  by  his  binder.1  In  some  re- 
spects the  order  here  outlined  may  differ  in  different 
binderies,  but  the  majority  follow  it  closely. 

The  processes  as  outlined  are  those  which  should 
be  used  in  library  binding.  There  are,  however,  sev- 
eral additional  points  relating  to  binding  processes 
with  which  it  is  well  to  be  familiar. 

RAISED   BANDS 

In  looking  at  many  old  books  bound  in  the 
eighteenth  or  early  part  of  the  ninteenth  century, 
or  at  books  bound  within  recent  years  for  individuals, 
one  will  find  many  that  have  the  back  divided  by 
ridges.  These  are  known  as  "raised  bands."  They 
are  formed  by  sewing  the  book  differently  from 
either  of  the  methods  described  up  to  this  point. 

According  to  this  method  the  bands  are  not  placed 
in  grooves  which  sink  them  below  the  surface  of  the 
back,  but  are  simply  laid  against  the  back.  In  sewing 
the  thread  may  come  out  at  the  near  side  of  the  band 
and  in  at  the  far  side,  thus  going  around  the  band 
on  the  back  of  the  book;  or  it  may  come  out  at  the 
far  side  and  in  at  the  near  side,  thus  entirely  encirc- 
ling the  band.  In  either  case  the  sewing  is  exceed- 
ingly strong.  Since  the  bands  are  entirely  on  the 
surface,  the  leaves  open  all  the  way  to  the  back  of 
the  signatures  and  greater  flexibility  can  be  obtained 
thereby.  (Fig.  10.) 

1  For  instructions  to  the  binder  about  type,  space,  lettering,  etc., 
see  under  Lettering,  page  141. 


PROCESSES 


<g 


FIGURE  10. — Sewing  on  raised  bands.  No  saw  cuts  except  for 
kettle  stitches.  Based  on  illustration  in  Report  of  the 
Committee  on  Leather  for  Bookbinding.  Edited  for  So- 
ciety of  Arts,  London,  1905. 

As  it  is  much  more  difficult  to  sew  and  forward 
books  with  raised  bands,  they  are  not  used  in  ordi- 


42  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

nary  library  work.  It  may  be  advisable,  however,  to 
use  them  occasionally  on  a  few  large  reference  books 
such  as  dictionaries,  where  great  flexibility  combined 
with  strength  is  essential.  In  fact  the  merits  of 
binding  in  this  way  are  not  recognized  as  generally 
as  they  should  be. 

Many  books  look  as  if  they  were  sewed  on  raised 
bands  when  in  reality  they  are  sewed  in  the  ordinary 
way,  with  false  raised  bands  pasted  on  the  back. 
They  add  nothing  to  strength  and  have  no  place  in 
library  binding. 

LACING-IN 

Lacing-in  is  a  method  of  attaching  the  bands  to 
the  book,  which  is  in  general  use  for  all  leather  books 
bound  by  hand.  This  method  requires  that  the 
boards  which  have  been  cut  to  the  proper  size  be  laid 
against  the  grooves  formed  in  backing  and  marks  be 
made  about  half  an  inch  in  from  the  back,  opposite 
each  band.  At  these  points  holes  are  punched  through 
the  board  which  is  then  turned  over  and  other  holes 
are  punched  about  half  an  inch  from  the  first  ones. 
It  is  generally  desirable  to  cut  a  groove  in  the  board 
from  the  first  holes  to  the  edge  of  the  board,  for  the 
bands  to  lie  in,  so  that  there  will  not  be  an  unsightly 
protuberance  when  the  book  is  bound.  The  bands 
which  have  been  frayed  out  are  then  threaded  through 
the  first  holes  from  the  outside  of  the  board  inward 
and  again  through  the  second  holes.  They  are  drawn 
up  tightly  enough  so  that  the  board  will  fit  close  to 
the  joint,  but  not  enough  to  prevent  it  from  lying  flat. 


PROCESSES 


43 


The  ends  of  the  bands  are  spread  out  fan-wise, 
pasted,  and  hammered  down  smooth  on  the  board. 
Before  any  back-lining  has  been  put  on,  the  boards 
are  attached  to  the  book  simply  by  these  bands. 
(Fig.  n.) 

When  bands  are  laced-in  it  is  not  customary  to 
use  anything   stronger  than   paper   for  back   lining; 


FIGURE  u. — Bands  laced  in,  and  ends  frayed  out.  Based  on 
illustration  in  Report  of  the  Committee  on  Leather  for 
Bookbinding.  Edited  for  Society  of  Arts,  London,  1905. 

the  strength  of  the  book  lies  in  the  bands  and  the 
leather  which  covers  the  back.  As  long  as  the  leather 
remains  strong  and  the  book  does  not  receive  hard 
usage  this  method  is  satisfactory.  As  soon,  however, 
as  the  leather  begins  to  disintegrate  more  strain  is 
placed  upon  the  bands.  When  the  leather  breaks 
completely  the  bands  bear  the  entire  burden  at  the 
joint,  and  eventually  break,  With  the  process  as  out- 
lined in  the  preceding  pages  one  need  never  fear  that 
the  book  will  come  out  of  the  cover,  or  that  the  sides 


44 


LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 


FIGURE    12. — Split    boards.     In    actual    work    the    backlining 
would  cover  the  entire  back. 

will  break  at  the  joint.  Even  if  the  leather  should 
break  the  canton  flannel  will  hold.  The  best  library 
binders  do  no  lacing-in  at  the  present  time. 

SPLIT   BOARDS 

While  the  old  method  of  lacing-in  is  not  desirable 
in  library  binding,  the  method  of  using  split  boards 
makes  a  very  strong  book.  Instead  of  making  a  case 
of  cloth,  or  cloth  and  leather,  the  back  lining  and  the 
bands  (or  tapes)  are  inserted  in  boards  which  have 
been  split,  or  between  two  thin  boards  glued  together 
with  a  space  left  unglued  for  this  purpose.  The 
covering  material  is  put  on  after  the  book  is  in  boards 
and  the  book  is  made  tight  backed..  This  is  probably 
the  strongest  method  of  attaching  a  book  to  the 
boards.  In  fact  it  is  stronger  than  is  necessary  for 
any  except  very  heavy  books  which  receive  hard  wear. 
(Fig.  12.) 

TIGHT   AND  LOOSE   BACKS 

For  years  there  has  been  a  certain  mild  contro- 
versy regarding  the  relative  merits  of  tight  and  loose 


PROCESSES 


45 


backs  for  leather  bound  books.  Tight  backs  are 
those  in  which  the  material  used  for  covering  the 
book  is  pasted  or  glued  to  the  back.  Loose  backs  are 
those  which,  by  means  of  folded  paper  or  a  piece  of 
paper  put  in  as  described  on  page  37,  are  prevented 
from  adhering  to  the  back.  When  the  book  is  opened 
the  back  springs  out.  (Fig.  13.) 

The  tight  back  book  always  forms  a  hinge  at  the 
place  where  the  book  is  opened.  Since  the  place  of 
the  hinge  is  constantly  changing  the  back  of  the  book 
after  much  use  becomes  concave  instead  of  convex, 
and  the  appearance  of  the  book  is  seriously  marred. 
Also  the  constant  creasing  of  the  back  tends  to  erase 
the  gold  lettering,  so  that  it  becomes  indistinct.  If 
labels  are  put  on  they  speedily  come  off.  It  is  cus- 
tomary to  use  tight  backs  on  very  heavy  books, 
though  there  are  cases  where  such  books  have  been 
put  in  loose  backs. 


FIGURE  13. — Tight  back  and  loose  back. 


46  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

The  loose-back  book  always  preserves  its  shape 
and  good  appearance,  even  when  the  paper  on  the 
inside  may  be  so  badly  worn  that  the  book  should  be 
withdrawn.  The  strain,  however,  always  comes  at 
the  joint;  therefore  if  poor  leather  is  used  it  will 
quickly  wear  out  at  this  point. 

Each  method  has  its  advocates,  but  so  far  as  the 
present  writer  can  learn,  there  seems  to  be  little 
to  choose  from  the  standpoint  of  strength.  It 
might  seem  that  the  tight-back  book  would  be  the 
stronger,  but  as  a  matter  of  fact  in  actual  wear  loose- 
back  books  seem  to  hold  their  own  with  the  others. 
In  fact  when  the  soft,  spongy  papers  are  used  the 
loose  backs  are  obviously  stronger.  It  seems  clear 
that  there  is  little  choice  one  way  or  the  other,  and 
the  question  must  be  decided  by  the  personal  prefer- 
ence of  the  librarian. 

JOINTS 

In  library  binding  French  joints  are  now  used  in 
place  of  regular  joints.  Figure  14  shows  plainly  the 
difference  between  the  two.  In  the  regular  joint  it 
will  be  noticed  that  when  the  book  is  opened  there  is 
a  sharp  crease  in  one  line  from  head  to  tail.  In  the 
French  joint  the  strain  is  distributed  over  a  much 
greater  area.  In  regular  joints  the  leather  is  some- 
times pared  at  the  joints  to  permit  of  easier  opening 
of  the  book.  In  French  joints  the  full  thickness  of 
the  leather  can  be  used.  French  joints  are  made  by 
setting  the  boards  away  from  the  back  about  one- 
eighth  of  an  inch.  When  the  cover  is  put  on  it  is 


PROCESSES 


47 


necessary  to  crease  between  the  board  and  the  back 
while  the  leather  is  still  damp. 

An  excellent  illustration  showing  the  anatomy  of 
a  joint  may  be  found  on  page  51  of  Dana's  "Notes  on 
bookbinding  for  libraries,"  ed.  2.. 


A  Section  of  «n  Ordinary  ioint  with  the  board  open  shows  that  the  sreas'nj  of  the  (eatlicr 


and  so  enables  sufficient  flexibility  to  be  obtained  with  much  thicker  leather  than  can  be 
used  with  an  ordinary  joint. 

FIGURE  14. — French  joint.  From  Report  of  the  Committee  on 
Leathers  for  Bookbinding.  Edited  for  Society  of  Arts, 
London,  1905. 

CORNERS 

Corners  on  library  books  should  be  rounded  to 
prevent  the  board  from  breaking  if  the  book  falls  and 
to  prevent  the  cloth  from  wearing  through  at  this 
point.  Rounded  corners  are  peculiar  to  library  bind- 
ing. As  a  rule  they  are  not  made  by  cutting  off  a 
corner  of  the  board,  but  by  turning  in  the  cloth  diag- 
onally from  the  corner  and  then  from  the  side  and 
end.  Sometimes  both  methods  are  adopted.  If  gov- 
ernment specification  cloth  is  used  it  is  probable  that 
"library  corners"  will  not  be  necessary. 


48  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

In  some  libraries  pieces  of  leather  or  vellum  are 
put  on  corners.  Leather  is  put  on  in  order  to  raise 
the  bottom  of  the  boards  from  the  shelf,  while  vellum 
is  used  to  make  the  corners  hard  and  prevent  them 
from  breaking  or  showing  signs  of  wear.  While 
both  serve  the  purpose  for  which  they  are  intended, 
the  process  of  putting  them  on  adds  materially  to  the 
expense,  and  in  most  cases  this  is  not  warranted  by 
the  increased  use  of  the  book. 

TRIMMING 

Binders  should  be  instructed  to  trim  as  little  as 
possible.  This  is  important  for  all  books,  but  most 
of  all  for  periodicals.  In  fiction  and  juvenile  books  it 
is  important  to  have  wide  margins,  because  the  text 
will  remain  legible  for  a  longer  period  of  time  if  pro- 
tected by  a  margin  from  the  contact  of  hands.  Non- 
fiction  books  which  are  likely  to  remain  in  use  for  a 
longer  period  of  years  may  need  to  be  rebound  and 
trimmed  again.  Therefore  wide  margins  are  essen- 
tial to  good  wear  as  well  as  to  good  appearance. 

It  is  customary  to  bind  front  covers  of  periodicals. 
Sometimes  it  is  desirable  to  bind  advertising  pages, 
and  it  is  necessary  to  do  so  when  the  publishers  fol- 
low the  pernicious  practice  of  continuing  regular 
articles  on  advertising  pages.  Covers  and  advertising 
pages  are  generally  printed  with  much  narrower 
margins  than  the  body  of  the  magazine  and  unless 
great  care  is  taken  in  trimming  parts  of  the  printed 
matter  will  be  cut  off. 


PROCESSES  49 

HEADBANDS 

Cotton  headbands  can  be  added  during  the  for- 
warding but  inasmuch  as  they  are  simply  pasted  on 
they  add  nothing  to  the  strength  and  very  little  to  the 
beauty  of  the  book.  When  silk  headbands  are  care- 
fully sewed  on  they  add  both  strength  and  beauty. 
An  excellent  description  of  the  process  of  putting  on 
headbands  will  be  found  in  Cockerell's  "Binding  and 
the  care  of  books,"  page  147. 

HOW  TO  RECOGNIZE  A  WELL  BOUND  BOOK 

The  ability  to  recognize  a  well  bound  book  is 
necessary  when  comparing  the  work  of  different 
binders.  A  book  should  be  bound  in  material  suitable 
for  the  use  which  the  book  is  to  receive  and  in  such 
a  way  as  to  give  the  maximum  amount  of  service.  It 
should  also  be  as  attractive  in  appearance  as  is  com- 
patible with  these  two  requirements.  In  deciding 
whether  a  book  is  suitably  bound  for  library  use  the 
following  points  should  be  kept  in  mind: 

1.  A   volume  must   show   evidence  of   neat   and 
careful  workmanship. 

2.  If  the  book  is  to  be  used  constantly  leather  is 
essential ;  if  occasionally  only,  leather  is  an  element 
of  weakness. 

3.  All  books  that  receive  hard  usage  should  have 
end   papers   and    fly-leaves    guarded   with   cloth.      If 
sewed    regularly    the    first    and    last    signatures    also 
should  be  guarded. 

4.  Saw  cuts  should  not  be  deep. 

5.  The    book    should    be    flexible    and    stay    flat 


50  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

wherever  opened.  (This  is  not  always  possible  in  the 
case  of  overcast  books  or  books  printed  on  stiff,  brittle 
paper.) 

6.  When  the  book  is  lying  flat  the  top  should 
remain    flat.      When    standing    on    end    the    sections 
should  not  separate  slightly  at  the  back. 

7.  The  book  should  feel  firm  and  compact  to  the 
hand. 

8.  When  opened  the  volume  should  not  make  a 
crackling  noise  due  to  too  much  glue  on  the  back. 

9.  The  book  should  have  a  well   rounded  back 
and  the  cover  should  fit  well  at  the  joint.    Flat  backs 
are  not  desirable. 

10.  Margins    should   be   wide   and    cut   straight. 
Periodicals  should  not  be  trimmed  so  that  printing  on 
covers  or  advertisements  is  cut  off. 

11.  The  book  should  have  French  joints. 

12.  The  cover  should    not    separate    easily    from 
the  book  when  pressure  is  applied. 

13.  Lettering  on  the  back  should  be  legible  and 
put  on  straight. 

14.  On  opening   the   book   sections   at  the   back 
should  be  perfectly  smooth,  showing  that  they  have 
not  been  crushed  in  backing. 

15.  Guards  for  plates,  maps,  sections,  etc.,  should  J 
be  so  applied  as  to  leave  the  paper  un wrinkled. 


CHAPTER   IV 
MATERIALS 

In  a  recent  pamphlet  issued  by  the  Government 
Printing-office,  containing  a  list  of  materials  and 
articles  used  in  the  printing  and  binding  of  public 
documents,  the  number  of  items  for  binding  alone 
reaches  the  surprising  total  of  171.  Many  of  these 
are  materials  used  in  marbling,  others  indicate  slight 
variations  of  color  and  weight  in  standard  leathers 
and  cloths.  But  exclusive  of  all  these  the  number 
of  materials  called  for  is  over  forty. 

It  is  not  the  writer's  purpose  to  discuss  all  of  these 
forty  or  more  materials,  but  it  seems  necessary  to 
mention  that  many  materials  other  than  those  used 
in  covering  books  (always  some  kind  of  cloth  or 
leather)  are  used  in  binding.  Furthermore,  the 
strength  of  the  book  after  it  is  bound  will  depend 
almost  as  much  upon  the  materials  used  in  its  inner 
construction  as  upon  those  used  in  covering  it.  The 
inner  materials,  if  not  wisely  selected  as  to  quality 
or  in  reference  to  the  kind  of  service  which  the  book 
is  to  receive,  may  cause  an  otherwise  excellently 
bound  book  to  give  poor  service. 

In  general,  however,  a  reference  to  binding  ma- 
terials means  those  which  are  used  in  covering  books. 
It  is  the  cover  which  renders  a  book  attractive  or 


52  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

unattractive,  and  which  contributes  more  than  any 
other  one  item,  except  possibly  sewing,  to  the  long 
life  of  the  book.  We  should  therefore  know  the  initial 
cost  of  different  covering  materials  and  the  length 
of  service  which  each  material  will  give  under  dif- 
ferent conditions.  When  they  are  not  imitations  we 
should  be  able  to  recognize  the  best-known  materials, 
either  on  or  off  the  books.  An  unscrupulous  binder 
can  easily  take  advantage  of  ignorance  of  these 
matters. 

So  far  as  the  librarian  is  concerned  only  two 
classes  of  materials  need  be  considered  for  the 
covers  of  books — leathers  and  book  cloths.  This  does 
not  indicate  a  restriction  of  choice,  for  when  we  con- 
sider that  leather  comes  from  a  large  number  of 
animals,  that  there  are  a  great  many  different  kinds 
of  cloth,  that  cloths  and  leathers  can  be  obtained  in 
a  great  variety  of  colors,  there  seems  to  be  an 
embarrassment  of  riches.  As  a  matter  of  fact  most 
librarians  confine  themselves  to  four  kinds  of  leather 
and  four  or  five  kinds  of  cloth,  each  in  three  or  four 
different  shades. 

LEATHER 

The  most  expensive  materials  used  in  covering 
books  and  those  which  vary  most  in  quality  are 
leathers,  the  skins  of  animals  which  have  been  tanned 
and  made  flexible.  The  best  bookbinding  leathers  are 
those  which  are  flexible  both  in  the  skin  and  on  books, 
and  the  surface  of  which  is  not  easily  damaged  by 
friction.  Owing  to  the  many  kinds  of  leathers  and 


MATERIALS  S3 

their  variation   in  quality,  it  is   difficult   to  learn  to 
know  them  well. 

The  skins  of  all  sorts  of  animals  have  been  used 
for  covering  books.  Certain  ones,  not  suitable  for 
library  binding,  are  still  used  for  the  purpose  in 
various  parts  of  the  country,  so  that  librarians  need 
to  become  expert  in  their  knowledge  of  which  leathers 
may  be  employed  and  which  ought  to  be  rejected. 

Variations  in  the  same  kinds  of  leathers  are 
caused  by: 

(a)  Age.  Skins  of  animals  which  have  not- 
reached  full  growth  should  not  be  used  for  binding 
library  books.  Since  they  are  immature,  the  fibres 
have  not  become  tough,  and  they  have  not  reached 
their  maximum  thickness.  If  the  skins  which  the 
binder  is  using  are  exceptionally  small,  it  is  probable 
that  the  animals  from  which  they  were  obtained  were 
too  young.  On  the  other  hand,  the  skins  of  very  old 
animals  should  not  be  used,  since  the  fibres  of  the 
skins  have  lost  something  of  their  flexibility  and 
strength.  They  cannot  be  readily  detected,  but  they 
are  sure  to  give  poor  service.  As  an  illustration  of 
the  effect  which  age  has  upon  leather  it  will  be 
sufficient  to  note  the  well-known  fact  that  calf  skin 
is  useless  for  library  purposes,  while  cow-hide  within 
certain  well-defined  limits  is  exceedingly  useful. 

(&)  ^TJie  sex  of  the  animal.  It  has  been  proved 
beyond  question  that  the  skin  from  the  female  of 
some  animals,  notably  goats,  does  not  wear  as  well 
as  that  from  the  male. 

(c)     Country   from  ivhich   they  qome.     It   is   an 


54  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

interesting  fact  that  the  skin  of  a  sheep  which  comes 
from  Persia  is  not  the  same  kind  of  a  skin  as  that 
of  a  sheep  which  is  raised  in  the  United  States.  In 
general,  it  may  be  said  that  skins  from  animals 
inhabiting  warm  countries  are  more  likely  to  be  ser- 
viceable than  those  from  the  same  kind  of  animals 
inhabiting  cold  countries.  In  the  cold  countries  more 
of  the  strength  goes  into  the  fur  or  hair  which  protects 
it,  while  in  warm  countries  a  greater  amount  of 
strength  goes  into  the  skin  itself. 

In  addition  to  variations  due  to  these  causes  there 
is  likely  to  be  a  certain  amount  of  variation  in  differ- 
ent parts  of  the  same  skin.  That  part  of  the  skin 
which  comes  from  the  back  of  the  animal  is  tougher 
than  that  which  comes  from  the  abdomen.  The 
difference  is  very  noticeable  in  the  skins  of  some 
animals,  less  so  in  others. 

Decay  of  Leather.  Of  late  years  there  has  been 
much  dissatisfaction  expressed  over  the  decay  of 
modern  leathers.  In  many  cases  leathers  100  years 
old  or  more  are  in  a  fair  state  of  preservation,  while 
many  leathers — perhaps  we  should  say  most  leathers 
— 30,  20  or  even  10  years  old,  show  signs  of  decay, 
and  some  have  rotted  away  almost  entirely.  In  no 
way  is  the  decay  of  modern  leathers  shown  more 
conclusively  than  in  a  long  file  of  the  sheep-bound 
set  of  the  United  States  Public  Documents.  The 
earlier  volumes,  covering  the  I5th  Congress  up  to 
the  36th,  will  in  general  be  found  to  be  in  a  good 
state  of  preservation.  About  the  year  1860,  how- 
ever, marked  deterioration  appears.  In  some  cases  it 


MATERIALS  55 

seems  as  if  the  backs  had  entirely  disintegrated. 
While  a  sheep-bound  set  is  the  best  example  of  the 
decay  of  modern  leathers,  many  libraries  have  been 
greatly  annoyed  by  the  decay  of  other  leathers  which 
are  supposed  to  be  much  stronger  than  sheepskin. 

So  great  was  the  dissatisfaction  with  modern 
leathers  that  in  the  year  1900  the  Society  of  Arts  in 
London  appointed  a  committee  to  investigate  modern 
leathers  and  to  ascertain  the  best  methods  for  pre- 
paring leathers  for  binding.  The  report  of  this  com- 
mittee was  published  in  1905,  and  a  general  knowl- 
edge of  its  contents  is  necessary  for  those  who  wish 
to  know  why  leathers  decay  and  how  they  may  be 
preserved.  Another  valuable  work  which  should  be 
carefully  studied  is  entitled  "Leathers  for  libraries," 
published  by  the  Sound  Leather  Committee  of  the 
Library  Association  in  England.  In  a  chapter  of  this 
book  J.  Gordon  Parker,  Ph.  D.,  Director  of  the  Lon- 
don Leather  Industries  Research  Laboratories,  tells 
us  that  the  chief  causes  of  decay  are  as  follows : 

i.  The  introduction  of  tanning  materials  other  than  oak 
and  sumac,  stronger  in  tannin,  and  more  rapid  in  their  action. 
Many  of  these  tanning  materials  are  unstable,  and  the  leather 
produced  disintegrates  on  exposure  to  light  and  air. 

Tanning  is  the  process  of  changing  hides,  which 
are;  animal  matter  subject  to  decay,  into  material 
which  is  strong  and  flexible  and  which  is  not  subject 
to  decay.  There  are  two  groups  of  tanning  materials. 
The  one  called  the  pyrogallol  group,  which  includes 
sumac,  gall  nuts  and  oak  bark,  is  commended  by  the 
Committee  of  the  Society  of  Arts.  The  other  is 


56  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

called  the  catechol  group  and  is  strongly  condemned. 
Among  the  materials  belonging  to  the  catechol  group 
are  hemlock  bark  and  larch,  used  chiefly  in  this 
country,  and  turwar  bark  used  largely  in  tanning 
East  Indian  goat  and  sheep  skins. 

The  United  States  Government  Printing  Office 
proposals  call  for  leathers  tanned  with  a  pyrogallol 
tannin,  since  it  has  been  proved  that  such  leathers 
prove  most  resistant  to  the  evil  effects  of  light,  heat 
and  gas.  If  a  skin  has  been  tanned  with  sumac,  or 
sumac  in  combination  with  oak  bark,  it  has  received 
the  best  possible  preparation  for  its  life  as  a  book- 
binding leather. 

It  is  not  possible,  neither  is  it  necessary,  to  have 
all  leathers  tanned  with  sumac.  Those  leathers  which 
are  intended  to  remain  on  the  shelves  for  many  de- 
cades, should  be  in  this  tannage.  Those  which  will 
be  discarded  in  a  few  years  may  be  tanned  in  a  less 
expensive  manner.  Even  some  of  the  quick,  modern 
materials,  which  accomplish  in  a  few  hours  what 
once  would  have  taken  weeks,  are  not  too  poor  for 
leathers  which  are  not  to  be  kept  indefinitely. 

Even  the  expert  cannot  detect  skins  which  have 
not  been  tanned  and  dyed  properly,  but  leathers  which 
last  a  short  time  may  be  suspected  either  of  being 
improperly  tanned  or  of  having  some  kind  of  injurious 
acid  in  their  composition. 

2.  The  use  of  dried  and  cured  skins  of  variable  sound- 
ness imported  from  abroad.  Goat,  calf  and  sheep  skins  are 
imported  into  this  country  (England)  from  all  over  the 
world;  some  are  simply  dried  in  the  sun,  some  salted,  whilst 
others  are  cured  with  various  ingredients." 


MATERIALS  57 

3.  The   use  of  infusions   of   acids   and  other  bleaching 
agents  to  produce  bright  and  even  shades  of  colour. 

Skins  tanned  with  sumac  are  light-colored  and- 
ean be  dyed  any  desired  color.  Most  other  tanning 
materials,  however,  make  darker-colored  skins,  which 
can  be  dyed  only  with  dark  colors.  It  has  been 
found  possible  to  scour  and  bleach  skins  with  sul- 
phuric acid  and  to  re-tan  with  sumac. 

4.  The  use  of  sulphuric  or  other  mineral  acids  for  the 
purpose  of  developing  the  depth  of  colour  during  the  process 
of  dyeing. 

Sulphuric  acid  is  the  cause  of  decay  of  over  90° 
of  modern  bookbinding  leathers.  Having  once  been 
used,  it  cannot  be  wholly  removed  without  the  use 
of  other  chemicals. 

5.  The  shaving  and  splitting  of  skins  for  producing  an 
even  substance. 

In  splitting  and  shaving,  the  long,  strongest  fibres 
of  the  skin  are  torn  or  cut  off,  and  the  part  which 
remains  for  binding  purposes  is  the  weakest  part  of 
the  skin. 

6.  Printing  and  embossing  grains  upon  leather,  together 
with  other  methods  of  finishing  now  in  common  use. 

There  are  various  ways  of  bringing  out  the  nat- 
ural grain  of  leathers  which  are  perfectly  legitimate 
and  which  do  no  harm.  The  danger  in  graining 
comes  when  the  grain  is  embossed  by  means  of  a 
plate,  which  is  heated  and  pressed  on  the  skin.  No 
good  leather  should  ever  be  embossed. 


5§  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

7.  The  stripping,  scouring,  souring  and  re-tanning  of 
East  India  leathers  (Persians). 

Some  imported  skins  are  only  partially  tanned, 
and  it  is  necessary  to  wash  out  the  tannin  with  some 
kind  of  alkali,  which  also  takes  out  much  of  the 
natural  grease  of  the  skin.  They  are  then  treated 
with  sulphuric  acid  and  re-tanned.  They  are  always 
poor  and  are  seldom  sold  as  re-tanned  skins. 

8.  The  removal  of  the  natural  grease  or  nourishment  of 
the  skin. 

The  foregoing  eight  causes  of  decay  are  beyond 
our  direct  control.  The  leathers  are  manufactured 
and  put  on  the  market,  and  the  binder  has  to  use  such 
as  he  is  able  to  obtain.  No  matter  how  much  the 
librarian  may  insist  upon  leathers  free-from-acid,  he 
is  helpless  if  the  binder  cannot  obtain  them.  All  that 
he  can  do  is  to  insist  that  leathers  without  acid  must 
be  used,  if  obtainable. 

Although  these  causes  of  decay  are  beyond  the 
librarian's  control,  there  are  several  causes  of  decay 
quite  within  his  power  to  avoid.  They  are  the  fol- 
lowing, due  to  improper  methods  used  in  binding, 
or  to  physical  conditions  after  tfie  book  is  on  the 
shelf: 

1.  Direct  sunlight. 

2.  Gas  fumes.     This  evil  is  hard  to  guard  against 
if  there  are  gas  pipes  in  the  building.     There  is  sure 
to  be  more  or  less  leakage,  and  even  a  small  amount 
of  gas  in  the  air  has  a  bad  effect  upon  leather. 

3.  Tobacco  smoke.     This  is  not  likely  to  be  very 


MATERIALS  59 

detrimental    in    libraries,    since    the    rules    generally 
forbid  smoking. 

4.  Excessive   dampness,    which   encourages   mil- 
dew. 

5.  Extreme   dry   heat.     A   temperature  much   in 
excess  of  70°  Fahrenheit  is  likely  to  dry  up  the  oil 
which  gives  flexibility  to  leather. 

6.  Undue   wetting   or   stretching   the   leather   in 
covering.     Some  binders  soak  the  leathers  and  stretch 
them  in  placing  them  on  the  books.     When  the  leath- 
ers dry  they  shrink,  the  fibres  are  strained  and  the 
life  of  the  leather  shortened. 

7.  Use    of    poor    paste    in    binding.     This    fre- 
quently sets  up  a  fermentation  that  is  very  harmful  to 
leathers. 

8.  Dust,  especially  in  conjunction  with  dampness, 
is  very  injurious  to  leather. 

Doubtless  there  are  other  things  which  have  a 
deleterious  effect  upon  leathers  in  libraries;  but  if  a 
library  is  well  ventilated,  if  leather-covered  books  are 
not  kept  in  cellars  or  basements  that  are  very  damp, 
or  where  direct  sunlight  can  fall  upon  them,  and  if 
the  binder  uses  good  paste  and  proper  care  in  cover- 
ing the  books,  we  may  reasonably  place  the  respon- 
sibility of  undue  decay  of  leathers  upon  the  manu- 
facturers. 

The  various  reports  quoted  so  far  have  dealt 
with  qualities  of  leathers  due  to  tanning,  manufac- 
ture, method  of  binding  and  time  in  use.  Natural 
or  mechanical  qualities  of  leathers  have  not  been 
touched  upon.  Those  who  are  interested  in  this  phase 


60  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

of  the  question  should  read  the  report  of  Mr.  Cedric 
Olivers  on  "The  relative  value  of  leathers  and  other 
binding  materials,"  made  at  the  meeting  of  the  Ameri- 
can Library  Association  at  Pasadena  in  1911.  Mr. 
Chivers  employed  Mr.  Alfred  Seymour  Jones,  in 
England,  to  make  tests  which  would  show  the 
tearing  and  breaking  strain  of  various  leathers. 
These  natural  qualities  of  leathers  are  obviously  im- 
portant, but  too  much  stress  must  not  be  laid  upon 
them.  It  is  possible  that  a  leather  naturally  strong 
and  tough  when  new  would  rapidly  deteriorate  with 
age.  The  records  as  presented  in  Mr.  Chivers'  report 
must  be  taken  in  conjunction  with  facts  determined  by 
the  investigation  of  the  Society  of  Arts.  In  the  main, 
however,  it  will  be  found  that  leathers  which  best 
stood  the  tests  of  the  Society  of  Arts  also  showed  the 
greatest  resistance  to  the  tearing  and  breaking  strains 
made  by  Mr.  Chivers. 

Preservation  of  Leather.  Various  attempts  have 
been  made  both  by  librarians  and  others  to  discover 
some  substance  which  would  preserve  leather  effec- 
tually after  the  book  is  bound.  Some  of  these  at- 
tempts have  been  temporarily  successful,  but  time 
alone  will  tell  whether  leathers  are  permanently 
preserved  by  the  treatments  used,  or  whether  appli- 
cations of  the  preservative  must  be  frequently  made. 
Owing  to  the  fact  that  in  law  libraries  practically  all 
the  books  published  previous  to  1900  were  bound  in 
sheepskin,  the  lasting  qualities  of  leathers  is  a  ques- 
tion that  affects  law  libraries  more  than  any  other. 
Dr.  Wire,  of  the  Worcester  (Mass.)  County  Law 
Library,  who  has  made  a  careful  study  of  the 


MATERIALS  6l 

problem,  advises  the  use  of  vaseline  or  some  other 
similar  by-product  of  petroleum  well  rubbed  into  the 
leather  with  the  bare  hand  and  allowed  to  dry  in  the 
air  until  the  leather  has  absorbed  it.  Better  results 
were  obtained  by  allowing  the  volumes  to  dry  in  the 
summer  by  natural  heat  instead  of  artificial  heat  in 
the  winter.  For  some  books  Dr.  Wire  makes  use  of 
a  bookbinder's  varnish  after  the  softening  product 
has  thoroughly  penetrated  the  leather.  A  full  descrip- 
tion of  the  processes  may  be  obtained  from  Dr.  Wire's 
pamphlet,  "Leather  preservation,"  published  in  1911. 
Some  of  the  disadvantages  of  Dr.  Wire's  method 
are: 

1.  The  necessity  of  rubbing  in  the  preservative 
from  three  to  five  times,  according  to  the  condition  of 
the  leather  at  the  time  of  first  treatment. 

2.  The   care   necessary   to   prevent   the   material 
used  from  smearing  tables,  trucks,  floor,  shelves  and 
clothing  at  time  of  application ;  also  when  books  are 
back  on  the  shelves  the  care  required  to  keep  from 
rubbing   against   them   and   the   necessity   of   wiping 
them  off  when  they  are  handed  to  readers. 

3.  The  tendency  of  books  to  swell  at  the  back 
when  first  treated  in  this  way,  demanding  extra  care 
lest,  in  an  effort  to  pull  out  one  book,  a  whole  shelf- 
full  fall  to  the  floor. 

4.  The  repetition  of  the  process  after  ten  years. 
It  is  possible  that  these  drawbacks  will  be  sufficient 

to  dissuade  all  except  the  most  stout-hearted  from 
using  this  method  of  preserving  leather.  Rebinding 
in  cloth  seems  to  be  much  more  simple  and,  on  the 
whole,  not  much  more  expensive. 


62  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

The  question  of  a  preservative  is  discussed  in 
the  Report  of  the  Society  of  Arts,  from  which  the 
following  quotation  is  taken: 

Enquiries  have  frequently  been  made  as  to  the  use  of 
preservative  pastes  upon  old  bindings.  It  has  been  mentioned 
that  the  seasonings  of  white  of  egg  or  blood  albumen  usually 
employed  in  finishing  leather  have  some  preservative  effect, 
and  no  harm  can  arise  from  the  application  of  very  thin 
coatings  of  white  of  egg.  The  use  of  ammonia  to  thin  or 
preserve  the  solution  must  be  avoided,  but  the  whites,  after 
thorough  beating,  may  be  rendered  antiseptic  by  the  addition 
of  a  small  quantity  of  camphor,  thymol,  or  some  essential  oil. 
Vaseline  has  been  employed  as  a  dressing,  and,  if  otherwise 
suitable,  will  no  doubt  have  a  preservative  effect  upon  the 
leather.  A  very  moderate  use  of  the  wax,  soap,  and  turpen- 
tine preparations  made  as  shoe  pastes,  is  also  likely  to  be 
beneficial,  and  no  doubt  a  special  preparation  might  be  made 
on  these  lines  which  would  be  still  more  suitable.  Parafin  wax 
dissolved  in  benzine  is  also  harmless,  and  the  surface  to 
which  it  has  been  applied  takes  a  good  polish  with  a  flannel 
after  drying.  Professor  Proctor  has  experimented  with  a 
finish  introduced  by  the  Berlin  Aniline  Company  some  years 
ago  for  coloured  leathers,  with  apparently  satisfactory  results. 
The  preparation  is  practically  a  very  hard  stearine  soap  with 
excess  of  stearic  acid,  and  is  made  by  boiling  8  parts  of 
stearic  acid  with  i  part  of  caustic  soda  and  50  parts  of  water 
until  thoroughly  dissolved,  and  then  adding  150  parts  of  cold 
water  and  stirring  till  the  material  sets  to  a  jelly.  It  is 
applied  very  thinly  with  a  sponge  or  rag,  and  after  thorough 
drying  is  polished  with  a  soft  brush  or  flannel.  The  alkali 
present  in  the  soap  is  useful  in  neutralising  any  mineral  ack 
contained  in  the  leather.  In  very  acid  leathers  it  has  be.cn 
noticed  that  the  sodium  sulphate  so  formed  will  sometimes 
appear  upon  the  surface  as  a  white  film,  but  this  is  easily 
removed  with  a  damp  cloth,  and  the  surface,  after  drying, 
repolished  with  flannel. 


MATERIALS  63 

Old  books  which  it  is  desirable  to  preserve  as 
long  as  possible  in  their  original  bindings  and  books 
which  will  be  used  very  little  may  be  treated  with 
some  form  of  preservative.  If  the  book  is  to  be 
much  used,  it  would  better  be  rebound.  Dr.  Wire's 
experiments  have  been  carried  on  exclusively  with 
law  books.  Whether  the  same  processes  could  be 
used  on  books  bound  in  morocco  or  pigskin  is  some- 
thing that  has  not  yet  been  determined.  Most 
leather-bound  books  break  first  at  the  joint.  The 
sheep  bindings  in  a  law  library  would  show  signs 
of  disintegration  long  before  the  leather  reached  the 
breaking  point,  whereas  the  librarian  would  first 
notice  that  morocco  was  decaying  when  the  leather 
actually  cracked.  Once  cracked,  no  amount  of  pre- 
servative would  do  any  good. 

KINDS  OF  LEATHER^ 

The  leathers  that  have  been  used  in  binding  books 
have  come  from  all  sorts  of  animals,  but  so  far  as 
the  librarian  is  concerned  the  skins  of  four  animals 
only  need  be  taken  into  consideration — the  sheep,  the 
cow,  the  pig  and  the  goat.  In  England  some  experi- 
ments have  been  made  with  sealskin,  but  it  has  not 
been  used  long  enough  to  give  any  definite  idea  of  its 
resistance  to  the  encroachments  of  time. 

SHEEPSKIN 

Sheepskin  is  a  soft,  flexible  leather  with  weak 
fibres,  and  with  a  surface  easily  abraded.  It  has  been 

1  The  prices  of  leathers  given  in  the  text  are  those  which  prevailed 
during  the  summer  of  1915. 


64  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

used  for  bindings  practically  ever  since  books  were 
put  into  leathers;  and,  under  the  old  methods  of 
tanning  and  manufacturing,  proved  satisfactory.  In 
many  libraries  it  is  possible  to  see  leather  books  bound 
in  sheep  in  the  I7th  century  which  are  in  a  good 
state  of  preservation.  Even  the  sheep  of  the  begin- 
ning'of  the  i  pth  century  is  frequently  well  preserved. 
Since  1860,  however,  the  quality  of  sheep  has  greatly 
deteriorated.  This  is  bad  enough,  but  unfortunately 
sheep  likes  to  masquerade  under  the  name  of  morocco 
and  other  leathers  of  a  better  grade,  so  that  its  use 
is  much  more  extensive  than  appears  at  first  sight. 
In  the  process  of  imitation  the  grain  of  the  leather 
imitated  is  stamped  on  the  skin.  When  this  is  done 
it  generally  takes  an  expert  to  detect  the  fact  that 
the  leather  is  not  what  it  pretends  to  be,  and  even 
experts  are  sometimes  deceived  after  the  leather  is  on 
a  book. 

The  strongest  sheepskins  are  made  when  tanned 
with  oak  bark.  Sumac,  which  is  such  a  valuable 
tanning  material  with  other  leathers,  is  here  inferior 
to  oak. 

There  are  two  kinds  of  sheepskin,  the  wool  sheep 
which  is  known  to  all,  and  the  hair  sheep  which  is  not 
found  in  the  United  States,  and  which  in  reality  is  a 
cross  between  a  sheep  and  a  goat.  The  hair  sheep 
comes  from  India,  China,  South  America  and  Africa, 
generally  from  mountainous  districts.  It  has  a  much 
tougher  fibre  and. is  a  better  wearing  skin  than  that 
of  the  wool  sheep.  Unfortunately  most  of  t! 
skins,  which  are  all  imported,  are  made  in'o  shoe 


MATERIALS  65 

leather.  When  properly  tanned  they  are  very  suit- 
able for  library  binding,  and  their  use  for  that  purpose 
is  increasing. 

The  wool  sheepskin  in  its  natural  color  has  been 
used  for  many  years  for  binding  law  books.  It  is 
seldom  used  for  anything  except  government  docu- 
ments and  law  books,  and  for  this  reason  is  known 
as  "law-sheep." 

Roan.  Roans,  the  term  used  for  sheepskins  after 
they  are  dyed,  can  be  used  advantageously  on  books 
which  will  be  handled  a  great  deal,  and  which  in  any 
event  will  not  stay  on  the  shelves  indefinitely.  Prop- 
erly tanned  and  dyed,  they  make  a  satisfactory  leather 
for  a  time,  but  their  life  under  the  best  of  conditions 
seldpm  exceeds  ten  or  twelve  years.  While  this  is 
true  of  good  roans,  it  unfortunately  remains  true  that 
in  the  United  States,  at  least,  it  is  difficult  to  get  roans 
that  are  properly  tanned  and  dyed.  Therefore,  unless 
one  is  sure  that  the  quality  of  the  skin  is  the  best,  he 
should  use  no  sheep  under  any  conditions. 

Skiver.  Skiver  is  the  outside  of  a  sheepskin 
which  has  been  split,  the  inner  side  being  known  as 
the  flesher.  It  is  a  leather  much  used  for  commer- 
cial binding,  but  since  the  splitting  process  takes 
away  a  great  part  of  the  strength  of  the  skin,  leaving 
it  not  much  stronger  than  strong  paper,  skiver  is 
wholly  unfitted  for  library  use. 

COWHIDE 

Cowhide,  sometimes  known  as  American  russia, 
is  a  leather  which  has  increased  enormously  in  use  in 


66  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

the  last  twenty-five  years.  It  is  a  thick,  coarse 
leather,  rather  unattractive  in  appearance,  strong  when 
new,  but  with  age  rapidly  deteriorating  in  quality, 
even  when  no  deleterious  substance  has  been  used  in 
tanning  or  dyeing.  It  is  a  harder  leather  to  work 
than  roan,  but  the  quality  is  much  more  uniform  and 
it  can  be  used  advantageously  for  binding  fiction  and 
other  books  which  will  be  much  used.  In  its  natural 
state  (undyed)  it  can  be  used  in  place  of  law-sheep 
for  law  books,  but  has  a  tendency  to  become  dark. 
It  can  be  obtained  in  many  colors.  Since  it  is  too 
thick  a  leather  to  be  used  in  full  thickness,  practically 
all  skins  are  split,  and  the  amount  of  flesh  left  with 
the  grain  determines  the  weight  of  the  leather.  A 
greater  or  less  amount  is  taken  off  according  to  the 
purpose  for  which  the  leather  is  intended.  Book- 
binding cowhide  costing  2oc  to  2$c.  a  square  foot  is 
the  lightest  weight  leather  that  has  the  right  to  be 
called  cow.1  The  life  of  cowhide  is  from  five  to 
twelve  years. 

Buffing.  Buffing  is  practically  only  the  grain  of 
cowskin  from  which  almost  all  the  flesh  has  been 
split.  It  is  not  suitable  for  library  books,  since  it  is 
very  thin  and  begins  to  disintegrate  in  less  than  five 
years.  After  it  is  on  the  volume  it  is  hard  to  detect,  so 
that  some  library  binders  have  been  tempted  to  use  it 
instead  of  cow.  But  as  buffing  is  never  sold  as  cow, 
the  library  binder  has  no  excuse  for  keeping  it  in 
stock. 

1  This  is  the  normal  price  of  cow.  The  European  war  has  had  the 
disastrous  effect  of  raising  the  price  and  lowering  the  quality.  Until 
conditions  become  normal  again  all  cowhide  should  be  shunned. 


MATERIALS  67 

PIGSKIN 

Pigskin  is  one  of  the  strongest  leathers,  having  a 
hard,  resisting  surface  and  a  good,  tough  fibre.  In 
the  grain,  the  holes  which  were  left  when  bristles 
were  removed  are  plainly  visible,  giving  the  leather 
a  distinctive  appearance,  which  can  be  imitated  suc- 
cessfully, but  which  is  much  less  often  imitated  than 
the  grain  of  morocco.  If  there  be  doubt  of  the  gen- 
uineness of  pig,  soak  a  piece  of  the  leather  until  it 
has  absorbed  a  quantity  of  water,  and  then  stretch  it. 
If  the  grain  pulls  out,  it  is  imitation;  if  genuine,  the 
bristle  holes  still  show  plainly.  Oak  bark  tanning  is 
the  best  for  this  leather,  and,  since  it  is  more  nearly 
gristle  (less  fibrous)  than  other  leathers,  dyes  and 
chemicals  should  not  be  used  which  will  interfere 
with  its  quality  of  resisting  friction.  It  should  be 
used  in  its  natural  color  whenever  possible. 

Pigskin  frequently  comes  in  skins  which  are  too 
thick  for  the  binder  to  work  easily,  or  which  are  very 
uneven  in  thickness.  In  such  cases  the  paring  down 
of  the  skin  is  likely  to  injure  its  strength.  Because 
of  its  thickness  pig  is  generally  supposed  to  be 
more  suitable  for  large  than  for  small  books,  but 
inasmuch  as  several  binders  have  used  it  successfully 
for  years  on  small  books,  it  may  be  taken  for  granted 
that  it  can  be  used  with  good  results  on  all  books, 
large  or  small,  which  are  to  receive  hard  usage.  It 
needs  constant  handling,  and  the  absorption  of  a 
certain  amount  of  oil  from  the  hands  to  keep  it  pliable. 
Otherwise  it  dries  rapidly  and  cracks  along  the  joint. 


68  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

This,  however,  is  true  of  all  leathers  to  a  greater  or 
less  'extent.     Pig  costs  from  400.  to  450.  a  square  foot. 

GOAT 

The  leather  which  makes  the  strongest  and  most 
attractive  binding  comes  from  the  skins  of  goats  and 
is  called  morocco,  because  it  originally  came  from  that 
country.  In  the  course  of  time  goat  skins  from  other 
countries  were  tanned  with  sumac  (originally  a  dis- 
tinguishing characteristic  of  a  genuine  morocco),  but 
the  same  name  was  applied  so  that  we  now  have  the 
paradoxical  terms,  Turkey  morocco,  Levant  morocco, 
etc.  Moroccos  have  a  beautiful  grain,  are  flexible, 
soft  and  pliable  to  the  hand,  and  resist  hard  wear; 
qualities  which  contribute  to  their  great  popularity. 

Morocco  varies  greatly  in  quality  as  well  as  in 
appearance.  Unfortunately  the  skins  which  are  best 
in  quality,  considering  the  length  of  time  they  will 
wear,  are  not  always  those  best  in  appearance.  The 
skins  of  goats  with  long  hair  from  the  colder  coun- 
tries make  beautiful  bindings;  but  the  skins  of  goats 
from  the  hot  countries,  such  as  the  interior  of  Africa, 
having  short  hair,  while  not  so  attractive  in  appear- 
ance, are  tougher  and  wear  longer.  In  addition  to 
the  many  grades  of  genuine  morocco  there  are  as 
many  more  imitations  of  it  made  from  sheepskin,  cow- 
hide, etc.  Only  the  expert  can  detect  some  of  them  in 
the  skin,  and  even  he  may  be  deceived  when  the 
leather  is  on  the  back  of  the  book. 

In  general  it  should  be  said  that  genuine  morocco 
is  the  most  expensive  leather  that  a  library  can  use, 


MATERIALS  6p 

and  that  it  can  be  used  to  the  greatest  advantage  only 
occasionally.  It  makes  an  excellent  binding  for  large 
reference  books  which  are  constantly  handled,  for  art 
books  which  must  be  attractively  bound,  and  for  some 
periodicals  which  are  much  used  in  reference  work. 
It  is  not  used  nearly  so  much  in  libraries  today  as  it 
was  ten  or  fifteen  years  ago,  and  it  is  quite  safe  to 
say  that  it  will  be  used  less  ten  years  from  today 
than  it  is  now. 

Levant  morocco,  made  from  the  skins  of  Angora 
goats,  is  the  most  expensive  and  most  beautiful 
leather  used  in  binding.  It  has  a  large,  prominent 
grain,  but  is  far  too  expensive  for  any  library  to  use, 
especially  when  it  must  be  conceded  that  in  its  wear- 
ing quality  it  does  not  equal  that  of  some  less  expen- 
sive moroccos.  Mr.  Olivers'  test  showed  that  so 
far  as  tensile  strength  goes,  this  leather  is  very  much 
weaker  than  many  leathers  much  less  expensive. 
When  the  skin  has  been  subjected  to  pressure  until 
the  surface  is  smooth  it  is  known  as  "crusl^ed  levant." 

Turkey  morocco,  made  of  skins  of  goats  from 
Turkey,  is  a  very  strong,  durable  leather  which  all 
libraries  will  find  occasion  to  use  from  time  to  time. 
It  is  very  easily  imitated.  Under  exposure  to  atmos- 
pheric conditions  existing  in  many  libraries  its  life 
may  not  extend  beyond  thirty  years.  In  one  library  at 
least,  where  conditions  of  light  and  heat  were  poor, 
the  best  Turkey  morocco  that  the  market  afforded 
showed  signs  of  disintegration  within  twelve  years. 
Good  Turkey  morocco  can  be  obtained  for  35c.  a 
square  foot. 


70  LIBRARY    BOOKBINDING 

Persian  morocco,  which  comes  from  the  skin  of  a 
Persian  sheep  (not  goat),  is  not  particularly  attrac- 
tive in  appearance  and  is  very  poor  in  quality.  It  is 
used  extensively  for  commercial  work,  but  is  abso- 
lutely valueless  for  library  binding. 

Niger  morocco  is  a  goat  skin  which  comes  from 
the  interior  of  Africa,  generally  by  way  of  Tripoli, 
and  is  by  no  means  a  recent  discovery,  though  we 
knew  little  about  it  five  years  ago.  It  is  tanned  by 
natives  according  to  some  method  of  vegetable  tan- 
ning not  completely  known  at  this  time.  While  in 
appearance  it  is  not  so  attractive  as  some  other  moroc- 
cos, because  of  blemishes  due  to  carelessness  in 
handling  and  to  the  imperfect  removal  of  some  of 
the  hairs,  it  has  been  proved  by  the  tests  made  under 
the  direction  of  Mr.  Chivers  to  be  stronger  than  all 
other  moroccos ;  the  inference  is  that  it  is  more  dur- 
able. Until  recently  it  has  been  very  hard  to  obtain 
in  the  United  States. 

Bock  morocco  is  not  a  morocco  but  a  split  Persian 
sheep  so  poor  in  quality  that  it  is  mentioned  only  to 
be  condemned. 

CALFSKIN 

Calfskin  in  all  its  various  characters,  such  as  di- 
vinity, kip,  marbled,  mottled,  smooth,  tree,  or  just 
plain  calf  is  a  very  beautiful  leather  much  used  in  the 
past  for  binding  books  for  individuals.  For  this  pur- 
pose it  has,  of  late  years,  been  crowded  out  by 
Levant  morocco.  It  has  a  soft,  smooth  surface  which 
disintegrates  rapidly  under  the  action  of  heat  and  gas 


MATERIALS  71 

and  has  little  strength  even  for  temporary  use.     For 
the  library  it  is  useless. 

RUSSIA   LEATHER 

This  is  a  brownish-red  leather  made  from  the 
skins  of  different  animals,  tanned  with  willow  bark 
and  filled  with  a  preparation  of  birch  oil  which  gives 
it  its  peculiar  odor.  Neither  in  its  genuine  form  nor 
in  imitation  is  it  a  useful  leather  for  libraries. 

SEALSKIN 

Although  experiments  have  been  made  with  it  in 
some  English  libraries  sealskin  has  never  been  much 
used  in  the  United  States  for  library  binding.  It  is 
made  from  the  skins  of  the  hair  seal,  the  supply  com- 
ing from  all  parts  of  the  North  Atlantic  Ocean. 
According  to  Mr.  Douglas  Cockerell  and  other  bind- 
ing experts  in  England,  the  skin  is  peculiarly  suited 
for  library  use.  It  is  reported  to  be  a  hard-wearing 
leather,  tough  and  pliable,  even  in  quality  so  that  no 
part  of  the  skin  must  be  discarded  because  too  thin 
or  too  weak,  and  possessing  a  beautiful  grain.  The 
price  ranges  from  a  point  somewhat  higher  than  that 
of  the  poorer  moroccos  to  one  somewhat  lower  than 
the  higher  prices.  Unfortunately  it  can  be  easily 
imitated. 

VELLUM 

Probably  no  discussion  of  leather  is  complete 
without  mentioning  vellum,  a  binding  material  which 
does  not  resemble  leather,  but  which  nevertheless  is 
made  from  calfskin  or  sometimes  from  goat  skin.  It 


72  LIBRARY    BOOKBINDING 

is  prepared  by  the  use  of  lime,  and  as  far  as  the  actual 
wear  on  flat  surface  is  concerned,  is  perhaps  better 
than  any  leather.  It  is,  however,  very  susceptible  to 
moisture,  which  makes  it  warp ;  and  to  light,  which 
makes  it  hard  and  brittle.  Since  it  is  very  hard,  does 
not  bend  easily  and  is  hard  to  work,  its  chief  use  is 
on  the  corners  of  books  to  protect  them  and  make 
them  less  likely  to  break  or  rub.  Large  libraries  have 
used  it  somewhat  for  this  purpose,  but  the  use  is  dying 
out. 

In  making  a  study  of  leathers  it  is  well  to  obtain 
samples  of  all  kinds,  including  those  which  are  un- 
suitable for  library  use,  and  to  examine  them  care- 
fully, noting  the  appearance  of  the  grain,  thickness 
of  skin,  flexibility,  and  softness  of  surface.  Perhaps 
more  money  can  be  wasted  through  ignorance  of  the 
comparative  values  of  different  kinds  of  leather 
which  it  is  permissible  to  use  in  library  binding,  than 
in  mismanagement  of  any  other  part  of  binding. 

CLOTH 

Cloth  is  fully  as  important  as  leather  in  the  econ- 
omy of  binding.  Several  years  ago  it  was  the  custom 
to  bind  periodicals  and  other  books  which  were  used 
comparatively  seldom  in  leather,  while  fiction,  juve- 
nile and  other  books  which  wore  out  quickly  were 
bound  in  cloth.  Recently  the  opposite  course  has 
been  more  favored.  Books  which  receive  unusually 
hard  usage  and  are  in  the  hands  of  readers  con- 
stantly are  bound  in  leather;  while  those  which  are 
used  seldom,  including  periodicals,  are  bound  in  some 


MATERIALS  73 

kind  of  cloth.  Without  doubt  the  change  is  a  wise 
one.  Even  the  best  of  leather  disintegrates  in  time 
under  the  action  of  heat,  gas,  light,  etc.,  and  to-day 
many  a  volume  bound  in  leather  ten  or  fifteen  years 
ago  has  parted  from  its  sides,  necessitating  rebinding 
or  recovering.  Had  it  been  bound  in  a  good  quality 
of  cloth  it  would  to-day  be  in  good  condition,  and 
probably  would  remain  in  good  condition  for  a  hun- 
dred years.  It  requires  considerable  courage  to 
change  the  binding  of  a  good  set  of  a  standard  peri- 
odical, such  as  the  Atlantic  or  Harper's,  from  an 
attractive  half  morocco  binding  to  an  unattractive 
buckram.  Unquestionably,  if  economy  is  an  object, 
the  change  should  be  made,  except  possibly  in  the 
case  of  a  library  which  uses  these  periodicals  daily. 
Every  librarian  must  decide  each  case  for  himself 
strictly  according  to  the  use  the  set  is  to  receive, 
always  bearing  in  mind  the  fact  that  leather  disin- 
tegrates with  time,  whereas  cloth  does  not  unless 
exposed  to  excessive  moisture. 

No  cloth  which  is  suitable  for  library  use  is  per- 
fectly satisfactory  because  it  has  not  the  strength  of 
good  leather,  cannot  be  used  advantageously  on  very 
heavy  books,  soils  easily  and  with  use  grows  soft  and 
flabby,  especially  along  the  joints.  But  on  the  other 
hand  even  those  not  suitable  for  libraries  which  are 
used  by  the  publisher  on  cheap  books  are  much  bet- 
ter than  poor  grades  of  leathers,  such  as  skiver,  bock, 
buffing,  etc. 

The  requisite  qualities  of  a  good  cloth  are: 

(a)     Endurance  when  folded  back  and  forth  in 


74  LIBRARY    BOOKBINDING 

the  same  place,  so  that  it  may  withstand  the  wear  at 
the  joint  caused  by  opening  the  book. 

(fr)  Smoothness,  so  that  there  will  be  a  compar- 
atively small  amount  of  friction  when  withdrawing  a 
book  from  between  two  others  on  the  shelf. 

(c*)  Ability  to  withstand  constant  rubbing  back 
and  forth  on  tables. 

(d)  Color  that  is  fast  when  exposed  to  light;  if 
possible  it  should  be  fast  to  water  also,  though  this 
is  less  important. 

(?)  Color  should  be  dyed  in  the  piece,  not 
pressed  in  by  machinery. 

Many  cloths  have  some  of  these  qualities  but  few 
have  all  of  them.  So  far  as  is  known  to  the  writer 
only  the  grade  of  cloth  described  on  page  77  has  the 
last  qualification. 

Practically  all  cloth  used  in  the  United  States  is 
made  of  cotton.  The  best  cloths  are  manufactured  by 
The  Holliston  Mills,  Norwood,  Mass. ;  The  Inter- 
laken  Mills,  New  York  City;  The  Joseph  Bancroft  & 
Sons  Company,  Wilmington,  Del.,  and  by  the  Win- 
terbottom  Company  and  the  Manchester  Book  Cloth 
Company  in  England.  Since  a  number  of  grades  are 
made  in  several  different  patterns  and  a  great  num- 
ber of  shades  for  each  grade  and  each  pattern,  a 
variety  of  choice  is  permitted.  As  a  matter  of 
fact,  however,  most  librarians  select  a  good  grade 
with  a  regular  weave  and  confine  themselves  to  a  few 
standard  shades,  such  as  dark  green,  brown,  red,  dark 
blue,  and  tan. 

Since  the  strength  of  the  warp  is  much  greater 


MATERIALS  75 

than  that  of  the  weft,  it  is  advisable  when  possible  to 
cover  books  with  the  warp  running  across  the  cover. 
This,  however,  may  entail  some  hardship  on  the 
binder  for  it  may  frequently  happen  that  in  order  to 
cut  his  cover  economically  he  must  make  the  warp 
run  lengthwise  of  the  book.  If  a  strong  cloth  is  used 
the  advantage  is  not  great  enough  to  be  insisted  upon. 
Each  of  the  American  firms  mentioned  makes 
three  distinct  grades,  all  of  which  libraries  may  use. 
Each  firm  uses  a  different  name  for  each  grade.  In 
other  words,  there  are  no  general  names  which  can 
be  used  for  the  corresponding  grade  in  all  makes. 
Therefore  for  the  purposes  of  this  chapter  these 
cloths  will  be  considered  under  the  heads  of  Grades 
i,  2  and  3,  but  it  must  be  remembered  that  this  is  an 
arbitrary  designation  not  known  to  the  trade.  Under 
each  grade  will  be  given  the  specific  names  used  by 
the  three  manufacturers. 

GRADE  i  ,*-" 

Grade  one  of  cloth,  the  cheapest  that  a  librarian 
may  use,  is  not  made  of  the  best  quality  of  cotton 
thread  and  should  never  be  used  under  any  circum- 
stances for  full  binding.  It  may  be  used  on  the  sides 
of  books  bound  in  leather ;  if  this  be  done  the  corners 
should  be  covered  with  vellum,  for  this  cloth  does  not 
withstand  hard  usage  and  is  likely  to  fray  at  the  cor- 
ners. It  is  a  cloth  commonly  used  by  publishers,  but 
should  be  used  sparingly  by  the  librarian.  "Art  vel- 
lum" made  by  the  Interlaken  Mills,  "Aldine  vellum" 


76  LIBRARY    BOOKBINDING 

made  by  the  Holliston  Mills,  and  "Linen  finish"  made 
by  the  Joseph  Bancroft  &  Sons  Company,  come  with- 
in this  grade. 

GRADE  2 

(a)  Grade  two   is   made  of  a  better  grade   of 
cotton  and  with  a  closer  weave  than  the  preceding, 
but  is  not  sufficiently  strong  to  be  used  for  full  bind- 
ing.    It  can  be  used  more  satisfactorily  than  the  pre- 
ceding on  the  sides  of  books  bound  in  leather  or  duck. 
In  common  with  all  cloths,  except  the  buckram  made 
according   to    the    government    specifications    (which 
will  be  discussed  later),  the  different  colors  are  not 
made,  as  one  might  suppose,  by  dyeing  the  cloth  after 
it  is  woven,  but  by  mixing  the  color  with  the  sizing 
or  starch  which  is  used  in    finishing    the    cloth,    and 
pressing  it  into  the  cloth  by  machinery.    As  a  natural 
result  the  color  rubs  off  with  wear  and  the  natural 
gray   of  the   original   cloth   as   first   woven   appears. 
"Art  canvas"  made  by  the  Interlaken  Mills,  "Classic 
buckram"  made  by  the  Holliston  Mills,  and  "Polished 
buckram,"  by  the  Joseph  Bancroft  &  Sons  Company 
come  within  this  grade. 

(b)  Buckram.      Under    the    name    of    buckram 
various    grades    of    cloth    are    manufactured    which 
resemble  to  a  greater  or  less  degree  those  mentioned 
under  Grade  2  (a).     Generally  it  is  a  coarsely  woven 
cloth  stiffened  with  glue  or  sizing,  and  the  term  orig- 
inally indicated  that  the  cloth  was  made  of  linen.    At 
the  present  time  linen  buckram  made  in  England  can 
be  obtained,  but  all  that  is  manufactured  in  the  United 


MATERIALS  77 

States  is  made  of  cotton.  Linen  buckram  costs  much 
more  than  cotton  and  it  is  doubtful  if  it  is  any  more 
serviceable.  All  of  the  three  manufacturers  men- 
tioned make  buckrams. 

GRADE  3 

Prior  to  1907  the  Congressional  set  of  govern- 
ment documents  distributed  to  the  depository  libra- 
ries had  been  bound  in  sheepskin  and  the  leather  on 
the  volumes  had  disintegrated  so  much  as  to  make  the 
set  a  hard  one  to  care  for.  In  1907  the  Congressional 
Printing  Investigation  Commission  asked  librarians 
of  depository  libraries  to  suggest,  without  considering 
cost,  suitable  binding  materials  for  Government  Doc- 
uments. The  number  of  replies  received  was  124, 
embodying  suggestions  as  follows :  full  sheep,  1 1 ; 
half-russia,  78 ;  cloth,  25 ;  buckram,  70 ;  linen  duck, 
20;  canvas,  19.  Some  librarians  expressed  more  than 
one  preference,  so  that  the  total  number  o'f  prefer- 
ences was  greater  than  the  total  of  those  replying. 
Most  of  those  who  favored  sheep  did  so  because  of 
their  desire  for  uniformity.  Those  who  favored  half-  ' 
russia  undoubtedly  desired  half  American  russia,  or 
cowhide.  134  expressed  preference  for  some  form  of 
cloth. 

After  receiving  the  replies  from  librarians  the 
Printing  Investigation  Commission  obtained  samples 
of  cloth  from  various  cloth  manufacturers  in  the 
United  States  and  the  Bureau  of  Standards  made  a 
series  of  chemical  and  physical  tests  to  determine  the 
durability  of  these  cloths.  Chemical  tests  were  made 


78  LIBRARY    BOOKBINDING 

to  discover  whether  the  colors  were  fast  when  ex- 
posed to  light.  It  is  to  be  regretted  perhaps  that  no 
tests  were  made  to  determine  whether  the  cloths  were 
fast  to  water  and  that  this  qualification  was  not  in- 
cluded in  the  final  specifications.  Admitting,  how- 
ever, that  a  cloth  which  is  fast  to  sun  and  water  both 
is  a  valuable  cloth  for  bookbinding,  it  is  evident  that 
the  quality  of  fastness  to  water  is  not  a  vitally  im- 
portant one  for  cloth  used  in  the  United  States.  The 
total  number  of  books  injured  by  water  is  so  small  as 
to  make  insistence  upon  this  quality  entirely  unneces- 
sary. If  books  become  so  soiled  that  they  need  to  be 
washed  they  should  be  bound  in  water-proof  cloth. 

Because  many  volumes  of  Government  Documents 
are  sent  to  Porto  Rico  and  the  Philippines  where  in- 
sects eat  almost  anything  of  an  animal  or  vegetable 
character,  the  desirability  of  the  cloth  as  an  article  of 
diet  for  insects,  was  also  tested. 

The  physical  tests  indicated: 

a.  Number  of  threads  per  inch  of  warp  and  weft. 

b.  Absorption  of  moisture. 

c.  Weight  per  yard. 

d.  Tensile  strength. 

e.  Amount  of  stretch. 

/.  Amount  of  friction  developed  by  rubbing  two 
pieces  of  cloth  together. 

This  test  was  made  because  the  friction  developed 
in  taking  a  book  from  between  two  others  is  an  im- 
portant matter  when  a  shelf  is  full  of  books.  If  the 
friction  is  great  the  wear  on  the  back  of  the  book  is 
correspondingly  excessive. 


MATERIALS  79 

g.  Endurance  when  folded  back  and  forth  in  the 
same  place. 

h.  Endurance  under  extraordinary  conditions  of 
rubbing. 

Some  of  these  qualities,  such  as  tensile  strength, 
amount  of  stretch,  etc.,  were  comparatively  unimpor- 
tant, but  the  tests  for  all  were  severe  and  contributed 
much  to  our  knowledge  of  the  qualities  which  should 
enter  into  the  composition  of  durable  book  cloths. 

After  a  very  careful  consideration  of  the  results 
of  the  tests  and  a  thorough  examination  of  the 
samples  submitted,  a  committee  of  librarians  and 
government  officials  unanimously  chose  three  samples 
as  the  best  of  all  those  submitted  by  the  manufactur- 
ers. Of  these  three  samples  the  cloth  numbered  666 
was  considered  the  most  satisfactory. 

Although  these  three  samples  were  excellent,  they 
all  had  one  defect — the  color  was  pressed  in  by 
machinery,  not  dyed  in  the  piece.  After  various  ex- 
periments had  been  made  by  the  manufacturers  this 
defect  was  remedied.  The  Government  Printing 
Office  then  advertised  for  bids  on  cloths  which  would 
meet  the  Specifications  drawn  up  by  the  Bureau  of 
Standards  (See  Appendix  A).  Since  that  time  all 
the  Government  documents  which  continue  the  old 
sheepbound  set  have  been  sent  to  depository  libraries 
bound  in  cloth  made  according  to  these  specifications. 

This  cloth  is  known  sometimes  as  Government 
Specification  Cloth,  but  is  manufactured  under  the 
specific  name  of  "Library  buckram"  by  the  Holliston 
Mills,  "Art  buckram"  by  the  Interlaken  Mills,  and 


80  LIBRARY    BOOKBINDING 

"Legal  buckram"  by  the  Joseph  Bancroft  &  Sons 
Company.  The  first  two  are  made  in  pieces  about 
40  yards  long  and  38  inches  wide,  the  Bancroft  cloth 
in  pieces  43  yards  long  and  43  inches  wide.  It  must 
be  admitted  that  this  cloth  is  not  quite  so  attractive 
in  appearance  as  (some  of  the  old  cloths  which  are 
not  so  durable.  Some  binders  claim  that  it  is  hard 
to  use.  On  the  whole,  however,  it  supplies  a  long 
felt  want  and  is  the  strongest  cloth  made  that  is  at  all 
attractive  in  appearance. 

DUCK 

Duck  or  canvas,  a  rough,  heavy  cloth  much  the 
same  in  quality  as  sail  cloth,  is  the  strongest  cloth 
used  in  binding,  but  has  some  very  decided  drawbacks 
which  militate  against  its  use,  except  when  the  ques- 
tion of  strength  overshadows  all  others.  It  always 
makes  an  unattractive-looking  volume — some  of  the 
more  fastidious  librarians  rebel  against  its  use;  and 
it  readily  absorbs  dirt  and  moisture,  making  it  dis- 
agreeable to  handle  if  the  book  has  been  much  used. 
Duck  having  a  double  twisted  thread  in  the  weft  is 
much  more  compact  and  absorbs  dirt  and  moisture 
much  less  rapidly  than  other  kinds.  It  should  be 
used  on  the  backs  (never  for  full  binding)  of  news- 
papers and  such  periodicals  as  are  too  heavy  to  put 
in  library  or  legal  buckram. 

IMPERIAL  MOROCCO  CLOTH 

Imperial  morocco  cloth,  manufactured  by  the  Win- 
terbottom  Book  Cloth  Company  in  England,  is  made 


MATERIALS  8l 

of  linen  thread  and  finished  with  a  grain  to  resemble 
leather.  The  kind  most  used  in  the  United  States 
resembles  a  straight-grained  morocco.  It  is  an  excel- 
lent cloth  in  appearance,  as  well  as  in  durability,  but 
its  cost  is  50%  greater  than  that  of  the  Government 
Specification  Cloth.  It  may  be  used  on  semi-popular 
books  which  will  not  receive  a  great  amount  of  use, 
but  which  should  be  as  attractive  in  appearance  as 
possible. 

WATER-PROOF  CLOTHS 

There  are  several  cloths  which  are  water-proof 
and  therefore  easily  cleaned  when  the  covers  become 
soiled.  The  best  of  these  are  durabline,  used  exclu- 
sively by  Cedric  Chivers;  rexine  and  pluviusin,  used 
almost  exclusively  in  England;  keratol,  made  in 
Newark,  New  Jersey;  and  fabrikoid,  made  by  the 
du  Pont  Powder  Company,  Wilmington,  Delaware. 
All  of  these  cloths  are  said  to  be  acid,  alkali  and  germ 
proof,  do  not  absorb  grease  and  can  be  washed  with 
soap  and  water.  They  are  strong,  durable  cloths,  but 
they  have  at  first  a  disagreeable  odor,  are  hard  to 
work  and  hard  to  letter  in  gold.  In  the  application 
of  paste  to  most  waterproof  cloths,  either  in  the 
process  of  binding  or  in  attaching  labels  to  the  back, 
it  is  first  necessary  to  break  down  the  surface  of  the 
cloth  or  the  paste  will  not  hold.  This  disadvantage 
no  longer  exists  in  the  case  of  fabrikoid.  Keratol  and 
fabrikoid  are  made  to  imitate  leather  and  are  frankly 
sold  as  such.  Probably  the  use  of  these  cloths  in 
libraries  will  always  be  comparatively  small.  Because 


82  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

they  can  be  easily  cleaned  they  may  be  used  on  the 
sides  of  juvenile  books,  and  in  rare  cases  for  full 
binding. 

GLUE 

No  very  definite  rules  can  be  laid  down  as  to  what 
kind  of  glue  should  be  used.  The  matter  must  be  left 
largely  in  the  hands  of  the  binder,  who  must  see  that 
it  is  strong,  yet  flexible;  not  too  poor  in  quality  nor 
yet  the  most  expensive  kind  which  is  generally  used 
on  furniture.  This  is  too  brittle  for  bookbinding  use. 

The  best  glue  for  bookbinding  is  made  from  skins 
and  shows  a  dark  wine  color  in  the  cake.  Light 
colored  glues  are  made  chiefly  from  bones  and  are 
not  usually  so  good.  To  prepare  glue  for  use,  soak 
small  pieces  in  water  over  night  and  in  the  morning1 
melt  in  the  glue  pot.  It  should  never  be  boiled.  A 
careful  binder  will  see  that  utensils  «re  kept  clean  and 
that  glue  is  used  in  the  proper  thickness. 

Flexible  glue,  which  does  not  become  too  hard 
either  before  or  after  use,  is  made  by  mixing  glycerine 
with  good  glue.  It  has  no  special  advantages  for  use 
by  binders,  but  can  be  used  in  the  library  itself  for 
some  of  the  repairs  which  assistants  may  have  to  make. 

PASTE 

(For  paste  used  in  mending,  see  p.  167). 

The  best  paste  is  that  made  in  the  ordinary  way 
with  flour  and  water.  The  paste  should  be  fresh,  for 
if  it  is  not  a  certain  fermentation  takes  place  which 
is  injurious  to  the  book,  especially  to  leather. 


MATERIALS  83 

BOARDS 

Not  the  least  important  part  of  the  make-up  of  a 
finished  book  are  the  boards  forming  the  sides.  There 
are  practically  four  grades  of  boards  which  are  known 
as  strawboards;  binders,  cloth  or  millboards;  semi- 
tar,  and  tar  -boards.  The  cheapest  grade  is  the  straw- 
board,  for  which  there  is  no  place  in  library  work. 

Mill  or  cloth  boards,  used  for  practically  all 
library  work,  are  generally  made  from  waste  papers 
of  all  kinds,  though  some  may  have  an  admixture  of 
rags.  Clay  is  also  mixed  with  the  waste  paper  pulp 
and  the  whole  subjected  to  heavy  pressure  in  the  final 
stages  of  manufacture.  They  are  made  in  two  sizes, 
20x30  and  23x29  inches,  and  are  put  up  in  5o-pound 
bundles,  the  number  of  sheets  in  the  bundle  indicat- 
ing the  thickness  of  the  board.  The  thickest  is  a 
No.  12  which  has  12  sheets  in  a  5o-pound  bundle. 
They  may  have  as  many  as  70  sheets  in  a  bundle, 
which  makes  a  very  thin  board.  A  20  or  25  board 
should  be  used  for  fiction  and  juvenile  books  and 
a  1 6  or  1 8  for  heavier  books  such  as  magazines. 
.Prices  of  good  cloth  boards  run  from  $40  to  $50  a 
ton. 

Semi-tar  boards,  made  from  better  grade  stock 
than  mill  board,  should  have  in  their  composition  a 
certain  amount  of  rags  and  hemp  or  naval  cordage. 
They  come  in  the  same  sizes  and  weights,  costing 
about  $70  a  ton. 

Tar  boards  are  the  best  boards  obtainable.  Made 
of  naval  cordage,  they  are  very  tough  and  hard  to 
work.  Many  of  them  are  allowed  to  season,  in  much 


84  LIBRARY    BOOKBINDING 

the  same  way  as  lumber  seasons,  in  order  to  prevent 
warping.  They  are  much  too  expensive  for  library 
use,  sometimes  costing  as  much  as  $110  a  ton. 

The  matter  of  boards  is  not  one  about  which  the 
librarian  need  exercise  great  watchfulness.  Binders 
generally  use  a  very  good  quality,  though  they  some- 
times use  too  thin  a  board  on  a  heavy  book,  such  as 
a  newspaper  or  large  folio.  In  such  cases  a  board 
of  suitable  thickness  can  be  made  by  pasting  or  gluing 
two  or  more  together. 

THREAD 

At  one  time  there  was  no  question  but  that  the 
best  thread  to  be  used  in  binding  was  linen.  In  the 
light  of  present  knowledge  it  may  be  doubted  if  this 
is  true  under  all  circumstances.  All  commercially 
bound  books,  without  exception,  are  sewed  with  cot- 
ton thread.  Even  such  large  books  as  the  Century 
Dictionary,  Webster's  Dictionary  and  the  United 
States  Catalog  of  1912  are  sewed  with  cotton  thread. 
Since  it  was  unquestionably  the  aim  of  the  publishers 
of  all  these  books  to  issue  them  in  the  strongest  pos- 
sible bindings,  it  is  reasonable  to  suppose  that  linen 
would  have  been  used  if  it  were  really  the  best  for 
the  purpose.  The  main  reason  linen  thread  has  been 
advised  for  so  long  is  because  its  tensile  strength  is 
much  greater  than  that  of  cotton.  On  the  other  hand, 
it  is  just  as  true  that  what  we  may  call  the  fraying 
resistance  of  a  cotton  thread  is  greater  than  that  of 
linen.  Take  two  threads  of  the  same  size,  one  cotton 
and  the  other  linen,  make  a  loop  of  each  thread  with 


MATERIALS  5 

one  inside  the  other,  saw  back  and  forth,  and  the 
cotton  will  always  cut  the  linen  thread.  Furthermore, 
linen  thread  deteriorates  in  quality  unless  very  care- 
fully stored.  The  publishers  soon  discovered  these 
facts,  and  since  tensile  strength  is  not  an  important 
attribute  in  a  thread  that  is  being  used -in  a  book 
sewing-machine,  they  use  a  cotton  thread  with  thor- 
oughly satisfactory  results. 

In  the  case  of  library  binding,  however,  the  books 
are  always  sewed  by  hand  and  the  sewer,  as  she 
draws  the  thread  tight,  is  obliged  to  use  some 
strength ;  for  this  reason  tensile  strength  is  an  impor- 
tant attribute.  Hayes'  Irish  linen  thread  is  generally 
specified.  The  Barbour  thread  is  referred  to  by  Mr. 
Dana  and  by  others,  but  the  writer  is  not  familiar 
with  its  use. 

Other  materials  used  in  binding  are  gold  leaf, 
paper  for  end  papers,  tape,  headband's,  cord  and 
various  concoctions  used  in  finishing  the  books.  Gold 
leaf  should  be  18  to  22  karat,  and  neither  aluminum 
nor  silver  leaf  should  be  used.  Paper  for  end  papers 
will  vary  somewhat  with  the  size  of  the  book,  but 
should  never  be  lighter  in  weight  than  a  ob-pound 
manila.  Large  libraries  may  find  it  desirable  to  have 
an  end  paper  specially  made  for  their  own  use.  Tapes 
should  be  linen  and  not  over  three-eighths  of  an  inch 
wide.  Cord  for  use  in  sewing  in  the  regular  way 
(not  overcasting)  is  a  soft  twine  which  can  be 
obtained  from  all  dealers  in  bookbinding  supplies. 
For  all  books  less  than  twelve  inches  in  height  use 
four-ply  cord ;  for  larger  books,  five-ply. 


CHAPTER  V 


After  the  librarian  has  definitely  decided  upon  the 
binder  whom  he  wishes  to  employ  he  must,  especially 
in  dealing  with  binders  who  are  not  accustomed  to 
library  work,  draw  up  specifications  as  to  ways  in 
which  he  wishes  different  classes  of  books  bound.  If 
he  has  employed  a  binder  who  thoroughly  under- 
stands library  binding,  he  may  make  use  of  the 
binder's  knowledge  in  drawing  up  the  specifications. 
Under  certain  circumstances  it  may  be  wise  to  enter 
into  a  contract  with  the  binder,  but  ordinarily  in  the 
United  States  such  a  course  will  not  be  necessary. 
After  the  specifications  have  been  prepared  and  a 
schedule  of  prices  agreed  upon,  the  librarian  always 
has  the  right  to  refuse  to  pay  for  books  not  bound 
according  to  specifications.  Therefore,  a  definite 
legal  contract  is  not  necessary.  The  librarian,  ex- 
cept in  the  case  of  a  few  libraries  which  according  to 
law  must  give  their  work  to  state  officials,  is  always 
at  liberty  to  take  his  custom  from  one  binder  and 
give  it  to  another.  Thus  sufficient  pressure  is  brought 
to  bear  on  the  binder. 

Although  the  present  chapter  gives  definite  speci- 
fications for  the  binding  of  various  classes  of  books, 
it  is  always  wise  to  show  a  certain  latitude  in  the  use 


«5  LIBRARY    BOOKBINDING 

of  specifications.  Local  conditions,  the  papers  used  in 
bookmaking  which  seem  to  become  poorer  and  poorer 
with  each  succeeding  year,  and  the  kind  of  a  library 
which  is  to  use  the  specifications — all  these  must  be 
taken  into  consideration  when  specifications  are  drawn 
up.  Moreover,  the  best  specifications  will  accomplish 
little  if  they  are  not  followed  by  the  binder  in  a  work- 
manlike manner,  while  good  workmanship  will  some- 
times make  up  for  omission  of  important  details  in  the 
specifications. 

In  the  main,  it  will  be  found  that  the  following 
specifications  may  be  used  as  a  guide,  except  possibly 
in  the  case  of  some  reference  and  college  libraries 
which  do  not  issue  books  for  home  use.  It  has 
seemed  best  to  place  first  general  specifications  which 
apply  to  all  books,  followed  by  additional  specifica- 
tions for  each  kind  of  books  treated.  The  way  in 
which  these  specifications  are  carried  out  is  described 
in  the  chapter  on  Processes. 


1.  The  binder  is  responsible  for  all  books  con- 
signed to  his  care  and  must  replace  or  pay  for  all 
books  lost  or  injured.     When  one  considers  the  large 
number  of  volumes  passing  through  a  bindery,  com- 
ing   from   many    different    libraries,    the    number    of 
books  for  which  the  binder  is  unable  to  account  is 
surprisingly  small. 

2.  The   librarian    is    the    judge    of    whether    the 
book  is  bound  according  to  the  specifications.     Since 
he  has  submitted  the  specifications  and  the  binder  has 


SPECIFICATIONS  89 

agreed  to  them  he  should  be  the  sole  judge  of  the 
result. 

3.  The  binder  will  be  allowed  to  depart  from  any 
specification  if  it  is  desirable  in  the  interests  of  good 
binding.    He  must,  however,  prove  that  h^is  justified 
in  so  doing. 

4.  Books  must  be  paid  for  according  to  a  sched- 
ule of  prices  agreed  upon  by  the  binder  and  librarian. 

5.  The  size  should  be  determined  by  measuring 
at  the  back  of  the  volume  after  it  is  bound.     It  might 
be  wiser,  perhaps,  to  measure  the  book  before  the 
boards  are  put  on,  so  that  binders  would  be  sure  to 
trim  the  book  as  little  as  possible.     It  is  the  universal 
custom,  however,  to  pay  according  to  the  measure  of 
the   book   with   the   boards   on.     This   may   possibly 
tempt  the  binder  to  increase  the  square  of  the  book 
just  enough  to  group  it  with  the  next  larger  size  so 
that  he  can  charge  more  for  it. 

6.  All    items    not    covered    in    the    schedule    of 
prices  may  be  charged  for  at  the  regular  rates  of  the 
binder  for  such  work. 

7.  All  books  not  oversewed  are  to  be  sewed  ail- 
along  with  Hayes'  Irish  linen  thread,  suiting  the  size 
of  the  thread  to  the  requirements  of  the  book;  No.  25 
for  light,  No.  20  for  medium  and  No.  16  for  heavy 
sections. 

8.  Cloth    must   be   used    for   sides   of   all   books 
bound  in  half-leather  or  half-duck.     Never  use  mar- 
bled paper  except  occasionally  on  newspapers. 

9.  Unless   otherwise   specified,   cloth   which   con- 
forms to  the  specifications  of  the  Bureau  of  Stand- 


90  LIBRARY    BOOKBINDING 

ards,  or  Imperial  morocco  cloth,  must  be  used  for  full 
binding.  For  sides  of  leather  bound  books  a  some- 
what cheaper  grade  may  be  used. 

10.  Duck  should  have  a  twisted,   double  thread 
in  the  weft. 

11.  Moroccos  or  pigskins  must  be  guaranteed  by 
the  manufacturer  to  be  free-from-acid. 

12.  Glue  must  be  best  quality  of  binders'  or  flex- 
ible glue,  and  must  be  used  sparingly. 

13.  Poor  materials  of  any  kind  must  not  be  used. 

14.  In   taking  books   apart,   all   old   glue,   paste, 
back-lining,  paper,  etc.,  should  be  carefully  removed. 

15.  The  binder   should    expect   to    do   a    certain 
amount  of  mending  of  torn  pages  and  guarding  of 
weak   signatures,   but    should   be   allowed    to    charge 
extra  when  the  amount  is  excessive. 

1 6.  The  text  of  all  books  must  be  collated  by 
binder  and  imperfect  books  returned  to  the  library. 
(See  under  Processes,  Collation,  p.  15). 

17.  All  illustrations  of  whatever  character  printed 
on  single  leaves  must  be  guarded  with   thin,  tough 
paper   and    the   guard    folded    around   the    adjoining 
sections. 

Some  librarians  and  binders  advocate  the  use  of 
cloth  guards  but  this  seems  hardly  necessary.  The 
cloth  guards  tend  to  swell  the  back  of  the  book,  espe- 
cially if  there  be  many  plates,  while  the  thin,  tough 
paper  is  strong  enough  for  ordinary  books.  Folded 
plates  should  never  be  sewed  through  the  middle  of 
the  fold,  but  should  be  mounted  on  guards  so  that  the 
plates  will  open  out  nearly  flat  when  the  book  is 


SPECIFICATIONS  91 

opened.  Folded  maps,  or  other  folded  plates  which 
may  be  consulted  often  should,  unless  otherwise  speci- 
fied, be  guarded  with  cloth  which  is  as  wide  as  the 
book,  so  that  they  may  be  thrown  entirely  outside  the 
book  and  lie  flat  on  a  table. 

1 8.  Illustrations    which    are    folded    more    than 
once,    such    as    maps,    should    be    carefully    cut    and 
mounted  on  thin  cloth  in  such  a  way  as  to  allow  for 
the  folding  to  come  on  the  cloth  alone,  not  on  the 
paper. 

19.  Stitching   (that  is,  sewing  signatures  length- 
wise with  a  sewing-machine)  or  old-fashioned  whip- 
stitching, is  not  permitted  for  any  books ;  with  the 
possible  exception  of  newspapers. 

20.  In  sewing  three  bands  or  tapes  must  be  used 
for  eight-inch  books,  four  for  twelve-inch,  etc. 

21.  Tapes,  or  bands,  and  back-lining  must  pro- 
ject at  least  an  inch  and  a  quarter  on  each  side  of  the 
book. 

22.  All  books  should  be  lined  on  the  back  with 
canton  flannel  as   described   in  the  chapter  on   Pro- 
cesses, except  in  a  few  cases  where  it  may  be  advis- 
able to  use  duck  or  a  flesher.    This  eliminates  lacing- 
on  of  boards. 

23.  Adjoining  leaves  of  fly  leaves  and  end  papers 
must  always  be  pasted  together. 

24.  Books  must  be  trimmed  as  little  as  possible. 

25.  All  books  should  have  rounded  corners. 

26.  All  books  must  have  French  joints. 

27.  All  books,  unless  otherwise  specified,  will  be 
fastened  finally  into  the  covers  by  pasting  down  end 


92  LIBRARY    BOOKBINDING 

papers.     Tight-back  books  will  in  addition  have  the 
back  glued  to  the  book. 

28.  Books  should  be  loose-back  unless  otherwise 
specified. 

29.  Edges  should  be  sprinkled  unless  the  library 
specifies   gilding   on    top.      The   color    used    may    be 
varied  to  harmonize  with  the  color  of  the  book. 

30.  Books  must  be  pressed  until  thoroughly  dry. 

31.  Binders  must  keep  a  record  of   each  book, 
whether    periodical    or    not,    which    has    a    volume 
number. 

This  record,  commonly  known  as  a  "rub"  or  "rub- 
off,"  shows  the  size  of  the  book,  kind  of  binding  and 
exact  lettering.  Whenever  other  volumes  of  the 
same  work  or  same  periodical  are  received  they  will 
be  bound  according  to  this  record,  unless  the  librarian 
has  specified  a  different  material,  or  different  letter- 
ing. In  such  a  case  the  matter  must  be  referred  to 
the  librarian  before  the  book  is  bound.  If  a  binder 
receives  a  book  with  a  volume  number  and  has  no 
record  of  previous  volumes,  he  should  ask  the  libra- 
rian for  a  sample  volume,  unless  it  is  obviously  a 
book  for  which  there  could  be  no  sample,  such  as  the 
first  volume  of  a  periodical  giving  contemporary 
dates. 

32.  The   binder   is    expected    to   paste    in    book- 
pockets  and  book-plates  when  furnished  by  the  library 
but  may  charge  extra  for  the  work. 

33.  The  best  gold  leaf  must  be  used  in  lettering 
unless  cover   is   light   enough   in   color   to   take   ink. 
Leather  labels  should  never  be  used. 


SPECIFICATIONS  93 

FICTION   AND  JUVENILE   BOOKS 

It  seems  to  be  fairly  well  proven  that  all  fiction 
and  juvenile  books  should  be  bound  in  some  kind  of 
leather,  preferably  cowhide.1  Objections  to  this  are 
heard  from  time  to  time,  but  the  objections  come 
chiefly  from  the  large  steel  towns  where  the  sulphur 
in  the  air  has  a  bad  effect  on  leathers.  In  most  com- 
munities leather  will  outwear  cloth  and  in  any  event 
cloth  becomes  shabby,  even  when  perfectly  strong, 
much  more  quickly  than  leather.  When  the  French 
joint  is  used  the  leather  need  not  be  pared  and  ordi- 
narily will  outwear  the  paper  of  the  book. 

Follow  general  specifications  as  outlined  above, 
supplemented  by  the  following: 

1.  Books   should  be  bound   in  one-half  cowhide 
(American  russia).     Roan  may  be  used  if  the  libra- 
rian is  sure  that  it  is  good. 

2.  Fly-leaves    should    be    made    of    white    book 
paper,    70    pounds    to   the    ream    and    guarded    with 
jaconet. 

It  is  apparent  that  when  fly-leaves  are  guarded 
with  cloth  they  are  sewed  as  a  separate  section  and 
not  tipped  on  as  is  done  in  ordinary  binding.  Since 
practically  all  fiction  and  juvenile  books  are  over- 
sewed, it  will  not  be  necessary  to  carry  the  guard 
around  to  the  inner  side  of  the  fold. 

3.  End  papers  may  be  made  of  paper  specially 
made  for  the  binder,  but  it  should  be  equal  in  strength 
to  an  8o-pound  manila  paper  and  should  be  guarded 

1  See  footnote,  page  66. 


94  LIBRARY    BOOKBINDING 

with  jaconet  on  the  outside  of  the  fold  in  the  same 
way  as  fly-leaves. 

4.  If  book  is  not  oversewed  the  first  and  last  sec- 
tions must  be  guarded  with  jaconet. 

5.  Nearly  all  books  should  be  sewed  with  some 
modern  method  of  overcasting. 

It  is  probable  that  in  every  lot  of  books  sent  to  the 
binder  there  will  be  some  fiction  and  juvenile  books 
which  could  be  sewed  in  the  regular  way  through  the 
signatures  either  on  bands  or  on  tapes,  but  the  num- 
ber is  so  small  that  the  binder  finds  it  easier  to  sew  all 
the  books  alike.  In  any  event  only  those  which  have 
the  backs  of  the  sections  unbroken  the  entire  length 
and  which,  in  addition,  are  seldom  used,  should  be 
sewed  in  the  regular  way. 

NON-FICTION 

1.  Books  should  be  bound  in  full  cloth. 

2.  .Books  in  which  the  backs  of  sections  are  not 
injured,  or  which  cannot  be  easily  mended  may  be 
sewed  regularly.    The  rest  must  be  oversewed. 

3.  In  all  other  respects  the  preceding  specifica- 
tions should  be  followed. 

PERIODICALS 

There  is  no  place  in  a  small  library  where  good 
judgment  will  do  more  to  make  the  library  efficient 
at  a  minimum  cost  than  in  the  binding  of  periodicals. 
The  use  of  libraries  for  reference  purposes  is  increas- 
ing and  the  use  of  periodicals  is  made  easy  by  means 
of  the  periodical  indexes.  The  enthusiastic  librarian 


SPECIFICATIONS  95 

who  wishes  to  answer  all  questions  will  be  tempted  to 
bind  more  periodicals  than  are  really  needed,  thus  im- 
pairing the  efficiency  of  the  book  fund.  On  the  other 
hand,  to  some  the  cost  of  binding  may  seem  so  great 
that  some  useful  periodicals  will  remain  unbound. 
But  it  is  not  necessary  to  throw  away  unbound  peri- 
odicals. If  they  are  to  be  used  only  now  and  then  in 
reference  work,  it  is' a  good  plan  to  wrap  them  in 
stout  manila  paper  with  stiff  boards  on  the  outside, 
letter  carefully  on  the  back  and  file  away  on  the 
shelves  in  their  regular  places  among  other  periodicals. 
Supplement  the  general  specifications  by  the  fol- 
lowing : 

1.  Fly-leaves    should    be    made    of    white    book 
paper,  80  pounds  to  the  ream,  guarded  with  jaconet 
on  both  sides. 

2.  End   papers   may  be  made  of  special  papers 
used  by  the  binder,  but  it  is  wise  to  have  a  i  co-pound 
manila  guarded  with  jaconet  on  the  outside  and  also 
on  the  inside  of  the  fold. 

3.  First  and  last  sections  must  be  guarded  with 
jaconet. 

4.  Books    10  inches   in  height  should  be  sewed 
regularly  on  four  bands  or  on  tape's  one-quarter  of 
an  inch  wide;  larger  volumes  on  five  bands  or  tapes. 
Sew  ail-along,  passing  needle  through  center  of  tapes. 

5.  A  millboard   as   heavy  as  the   weight  of  the 
book  will  allow  must  be  used. 

6.  '(a)  Books    should    be    bound    in    full    cloth « 
made  according  to  the  specifications  of  the  Bureau  of 
Standards.     As   light  colors,   which  may  be  lettered 


£>6  LIBRARY    BOOKBINDING 

in  ink,  show  dirt  very  readily  it  seems  better  to  use 
a  dark  color  and  letter  in  gold. 

(b)  In  large  reference  or  college  libraries  there 
are  certain  periodicals  that  receive  constant  use.  It 
would  be  a  mistake  to  bind  such  volumes  in  cloth, 
because  no  cloth  will  endure  the  wear  that  they 
receive.  They  should  be  bound  in  leather,  preferably 
Turkey  or  Niger  morocco.  On  no  account  should 
American  russia  be  used. 

7.  If  leather  is  used  the  sides  should  be  covered 
with  Bureau  of  Standards  cloth. 

NEWSPAPERS 

Because  newspapers  are  printed  on  wretched 
paper  which  it  is  freely  admitted  will  disintegrate  in 
a  comparatively  short  time,  the  question  when  to  bind 
and  when  to  throw  away  is  a  hard  one  to  decide.  For 
the  small  library  it  is  surely  unwise  to  bind  any  except 
the  local  paper,  which  will  be  used  from  time  to  time 
for  local  history.  In  many  cases  it  may  be  wiser 
simply  to  wrap  the  volumes  to  protect  them  from  the 
light  and  file  them  chronologically.  The  librarian  of 
the  large  library,  however,  no  matter  how  disgusted 
he  may  be  with  the  poor  quality  of  paper  used  finds 
it  necessary  to  bind  a  number  of  newspapers.  When 
bound  they  will  last  twenty-five  years  or  more,  during 
which  time  they  are  sure  to  be  used  sufficiently  to 
warrant  binding. 

Newspapers  must  be  kept  away  from  light,  heat 
and  moisture.  If  possible,  keep  in  a  dark  closet  until 


SPECIFICATIONS  97 

ready  for  binding.     Publishers  of  local  papers  ought 
to  give  a  copy  for  binding. 

1.  Newspapers  must  be  bound  in  one-half  duck, 
best  quality. 

It  is  never  under  any  circumstances  wise  to  bind 
newspapers  in  leather.  Duck,  to  be  sure,  gathers  dirt 
easily,  but  it  seems  to  be  the  only  material  sufficiently 
strong  and  long-lived  for  binding  newspapers. 

2.  Fly-leaves  and  end  papers  should  be  made  of 
extra  heavy  paper  well  guarded  inside  and  outside  the 
fold. 

3.  It  is  permissible  to  stitch  sections  lengthwise 
before  sewing  regularly  on  bands,  but  oversewing  is 
preferable. 

4.  Boards  of  double  thickness  must  be  used.     It 
is  best,   perhaps,   to  make   the  boards  by   gluing  or 
pasting  two  boards  of  ordinary  thickness  together. 

5.  Corners  should  be  covered  with  vellum  tips. 

6.  Tight  backs  must  be  used. 

7.  Sides  must  be  covered  with  paper. 

This  facilitates  the  handling  of  the  volumes.  If 
cloth  sides  are  used  on  newspapers  it  increases  enor- 
mously the  labor  in  shelving  them  and  even  of  using 
them  on  ordinary  library  tables.  In  libraries  that 
can  afford  to  shelve  newspapers  on  patent  shelving 
with  rollers,  cloth  sides  are  preferable. 

8.  Libraries  that  can  afford  it  should  use  a  fibre- 
filling  preservative  on  the  edges.     (See  page  116  of 
the  Bulletin  of  the  American  Library  Association  for 
1912.) 


9  LIBRARY    BOOKBINDING 

REFERENCE   BOOKS 

Reference  books  should  be  bound  in  the  same  way 
as  fiction  or  juvenile  books,  except  that  morocco,  in- 
stead of  cowhide,  should  be  used  for  books  constantly 
handled.  Books  used  only  occasionally  should  be 
covered  with  cloth  made  according  to  the  Specifica- 
tions of  the  Bureau  of  Standards.  Very  heavy,  thick 
volumes,  such  as  dictionaries,  should  have  all  the 
strengthening  devices  and  especially  should  have  the 
bands  and  canton  flannel  on  the  back  placed  in  split 
boards  or  between  two  boards  glued  together.  It  is 
impossible  to  bind  such  books  too  strongly.  In  rare 
cases  it  may  be  well  to  sew  heavy  books  constantly 
used  on  raised  bands,  to  have  leather  corners,  and  a 
strip  of  leather  along  the  bottom  of  each  board. 

LAW  BOOKS 

Some  of  the  professions  have  conventional  ways 
of  binding  professional  books.  In  the  law,  for  ex- 
ample, it  was  formerly  customary  to  bind  all  law 
books  in  full  sheep  of  the  natural  color.  When  sheep 
fell  into  disrepute,  the  law  publishers  began  to  sub- 
stitute cloth  similar  in  shade  to  the  sheep  generally 
used — a  decided  gain  for  law  libraries. 

Supplement  the  general  specifications  by  the  fol- 
lowing: 

1.  End  papers   and   fly-leaves   must  be   guarded 
with  jaconet,  as  described  in  specifications  for  fiction 
and  juvenile  books,  page  93. 

2.  First  and  last  sections  must  be  guarded  with 
jaconet. 


SPECIFICATIONS  99 

3.  All    maps    and    charts   must   be   backed    with 
muslin  and  not  folded  unless  necessary. 

4.  (a)   Bancroft    Legal    buckram     (the    lightest 
shade   made),   or   Holliston    Mills   Library   buckram 
No.  32,  should  be  used  for  covering. 

(6)   Books   used   constantly   should   be   bound   in 
half  Turkey  morocco  or  Niger  morocco. 

MUSIC 

1.  The    most   essential   quality   of    a   well-bound 
book    of    music    is    its    ability    to    lie    flat    wherever 
opened.     It  is  unwise  therefore  to  use  any  kind  of 
an   overcast    stitch    in    sewing.     Regular    sewing    on 
tapes,  instead  of  bands,  must  be  used. 

2.  The  square  at  the  bottom  of  the  book  should 
be   greater  than  at  the  top  so  that  leaves   will   not 
catch  on  the  music-rack  when  turned  over. 

3.  Imperial   morocco   cloth   should   be   used    for 
covering.     If  hard   usage   is   expected  half   cowhide, 
with  sides  of  some  kind  of  washable  cloth,  is  prefer- 
able. 

4.  Part   music   for  various   instruments   or  solos 
with   accompaniment  must   have  one  strong  binding 
for  the  part  which  takes  the  most  space,  with  pocket 
on   the   inside  of  the  back  cover  to  hold  the  other 
parts.     If  these  are  bulky  compensating  guards  should 
be  inserted  in  the  back  of  the  book. 

BOOKS   OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 
Every   library   finds   it   necessary  to   bind   a  few 
books,    such   as    Racinet's    "Le   costume  historique," 


100  LIBRARY    BOOKBINDING 

which  have  very  little  text  and  a  great  number  of 
illustrations.  It  is  evident  that  the  illustrations  in 
such  books  are  most  useful  if  kept  in  unbound  form 
in  portfolios,  but  when  kept  in  such  a  way  they  are 
likely  to  be  lost,  torn,  mutilated  or  misplaced. 

1.  Each  plate  should  be  guarded  with  thin,  tough 
paper  and  the  guards  overcast. 

This  insures  a  good  strong  sewing ;  in  addition  the 
guard  forms  a  hinge  where  it  meets  the  plate  and  the 
plate  will  lie  flat  and  can  easily  be  examined  when 
the  book  is  opened. 

2.  Because  of  the  artistic  nature  of  such  books, 
they   should   be   bound   in   one-half  morocco,   taking 
extra  care  to  see  that  acid-free  leather  is  used. 

3.  Canton  flannel  and  bands,  or  tapes,  should  be 
inserted   bet  wen   split   boards.     If  the   book   is   very 
heavy,  it  would  be  wise  to  line  the  back  with  duck  or 
a  flesher  rather  than  with  canton  flannel. 

> 

'  COMMERCIAL   BINDING   FOR   REFERENCE   BOOKS 

While  they  are  not  a  part  of  library  binding,  it 
may  not  be  amiss  to  include  specifications  for  com- 
mercial binding  of  heavy  reference  books,  such  as 
dictionaries,  cyclopedias,  etc.  It  is  done  with  the  hope 
that  librarians  will  exert  pressure  upon  the  publishers 
to  induce  them  to  adopt  these  or  other  specifications 
which  will  produce  equally  good  results. 

i.  Four  tapes  should  be  used  in  sewing;  the  tapes 
must  extend  on  each  side  of  the  book  at  least  two 
inches.  The  book  should  contain  as  manyl  stitches 
as  possible,  using  the  best  four-strand  cotton  thread. 


SPECIFICATIONS  «>I 

The  thickness  of  the  thread  will  depend  somewhat 
upon  the  number  of  pages  in  a  signature.  Books 
should  be  sewed  "all  along"  with  no  splitting  of 
signatures  at  head  or  tail. 

2.  First  and  last  signatures  should  be  reinforced 
inside  and  outside  of  the  fold  with  a  strip  of  strong, 
thin  muslin  which  passes  around  the  outside  of  the. 
end  papers.     The  English  cloth  called  jaconet  is  the 
best  for  this  purpose. 

3.  The  second  signature  and  the  next  'to  the  last 
should  be  reinforced  with  muslin  on  the  inside  of  the 
fold. 

4.  The   end  papers   should  also  be  lined  on  the 
inside. 

5.  Illustrations   should  be   guarded  with   muslin 
which  is  folded  around  the  next  signature. 

6.  Books  should  be  lined  with  a  medium  grade 
of  canton  flannel,  with  the  fuzzy  side  to  the  back  and 
extending    from    one-half    inch    from    the    head    to 
within  one-half  inch  of  the  tail  of  the  book,  lapping 
over  at  least  two  inches  on  the  side. 

7.  The  flannel,  together  with  the  tapes,   should 
be  inserted  between  split  boards. 

8.  Over   the   canton   flannel,   but  not   extending 
over  to  the  sides,  there  should  be  pasted  a  good  quality 
of  linen,  rope  or  manila  paper  of  sufficient  thickness 
to   make  the  book   firm.     In   putting  on   this   lining 
paper  paste  instead  of  glue  must  be  used. 

9.  Volumes   should  have   French   joints. 

10.  The  best  quality  millboard  of  suitable  thick- 
ness with  rounded  corners  should  be  used. 


102  LIBRARY    BOOKBINDING 

11.  Leather  should  be  made,  if  possible,  accord- 
ing to  the  specifications  of  the  London  Society  of  Arts. 
Niger  morocco  is  probably  the  best.     Volumes  should 
have  leather  corners  as  well  as  backs. 

12.  For     cloth     sides,     Winterbottom's  Imperial 
morocco  cloth,  Bancroft's  Legal  buckram,  or  Hollis- 
ton's  Library  buckram  should  be  used. 


CHAPTER  VI 

BINDING  BEFORE  PURCHASE  AND 
REINFORCING 

One  way  of  economizing  in  libraries  is  to  buy 
books  that  have  been  bound  in  strong  binding  before 
they  come  to  the  library.  It  is  not,  however,  a  uni- 
versal panacea  which  will  reduce  binding  bills  to  a 
minimum.  On  the  contrary,  if  not  used  with  caution, 
this  plan  will  result  in  the  expenditure  of  large  sums 
of  money  for  which  the  library  will  never  receive  a 
return  in  actual  wear  of  the  books.  Library  binders 
who  adopt  this  scheme  buy  books  in  the  sheets  from 
the  publishers,  put  them  into  a  strong  binding  and 
sell  them  directly  to  the  library.  Mr.  Cedric  Chivers 
of  Bath,  England,  was  the  first  to  adopt  this  plan. 
Later  he  started  a  bindery  in  this  country,  and  since 
then  other  binders  have  followed  his  practice.  For 
the  librarian  there  are  several  advantages  in  this 
method  of  buying  books. 

i.  Books  can  be  bound  according  to  the  library's 
special  needs  before  they  have  received  any  wear, 
while  the  paper  is  fresh  and  clean.  Books  printed  on 
very  thick,  spongy  paper  must  be  sewed  very  strongly 
and  receive  special  reinforcements  that  are  not  neces- 
sary on  paper  which  is  more  suitable  for  binding.  If 
a  good  library  binder  buys  the  sheets  from  the  pub- 


104  LIBRARY    BOOKBINDING 

lishers,  he  can  test  the  paper  to  see  what  kind  of 
treatment  it  should  receive,  and  he  can  then  bind  it 
suitably  for  library  wear.  If  the  book  is  used  in  the 
original  publishers'  binding  it  deteriorates  much  more 
rapidly  than  when  properly  bound  at  the  beginning. 

2.  The   book   can   remain    in   circulation   at   the 
time  when  it  is  most  needed.     Formerly  one  of  the 
greatest   trials   in   public   libraries   was   the   necessity 
of  withdrawing  from  the  shelves  practically  all  the 
copies  of  a  popular  novel  in  order  to  send  them  to 
the  bindery  where  they   remained  from  four  to  six 
weeks,  the  public  meanwhile  hurling  anathemas  at  the 
librarian    for   not   providing   sufficient  copies   of  the 
book.     Not   only  were  the   books  out  of   circulation 
when  most  needed,  but  much  time  was  used  in  pre- 
paring them  for  the  bindery,  checking  them  up  on 
return,   putting  on  the  library  marks  of  ownership, 
making   cards,   marking   pockets,   etc.,    all    of   which 
added  to  the  expense.     Today,  in  the   case  of  new 
novels  which  are  sure  to  be  popular,  such  troubles 
are  unnecessary.     Instead  of  buying  the  original  pub- 
lishers' binding,  the  wise  librarian  buys  a  sufficient 
number  of  copies  bound  from  the  sheets ;  if  the  bind- 
ing is  properly  done,  he  need  pay  no  more  attention 
to  them  until  they  are  worn  out.     He  has  done  what 
he  could  to  prevent  the  public   from  becoming   dis- 
satisfied,   and   he   has   saved   the   cost   of   the    work 
required  to  send  them  to  the  bindery. 

3.  Not  only  has  he  served  his  public  better  and 
saved  the  time  of  assistants,  but  in  most  cases  he  has 
actually  saved  money  on  his  binding  bills.     Let  us 


BINDING     BEFORE     PURCHASE  I<>5 

suppose  that  he  pays  $1.50  for  a  book  bound  from 
the  sheets;  and  suppose  that  he  also  buys  a  copy  of 
the  same  book  in  the  publisher's  cover  at  a  cost  of 
$1.22,  which,  after  it  has  been  issued  twenty  times, 
has  to  be  bound  at  a  cost  of  50  cents,  making  a  total 
cost  of  $1.72.  If  they  are  issued  the  same  number 
of  times  there  is  a  clear  saving  of  22  cents  in  favor 
of  the  book  bound  from  the  sheets.  As  a  matter  of 
fact,  however,  statistics  kept  by  the  Wilmington  In- 
stitute Free  Library  indicate  that  the  first  book  will 
be  issued  125  times  before  it  is  discarded,  and  the 
second  100  times — twenty  before  binding  and  eighty 
afterward.  If  this  be  true,  it  is  clear  that  there  is  a 
further  saving,  provided  that  both  have  to  be  replaced 
when  finally  worn  out. 

While  these  advantages  are  well  worth  consider- 
ing, the  librarian  should  not  necessarily  get  all  his 
books  in  this  form.  It  is  a  plan  which  is  pecu- 
liarly advantageous  in  the  case  of  fiction  and  those 
few  other  books  which  are  in  constant  use.  In  the 
case  of  juvenile  books  one  must  be  cautious.  Juvenile 
books,  particularly  books  for  boys,  become  soiled  so 
much  more  quickly  than  the  adult  books  that  they 
frequently  have  to  be  discarded  because  they  are  dirty 
rather  than  because  they  are  worn  out.  If  the  books 
were  bound  before  purchase  the  library  may  have  lost 
money,  because  one  can  frequently  buy  a  publisher's 
book  and  rebind  it  more  cheaply  than  he  can  purchase 
the  book  bound  from  the  sheets.  * 

Most  books  in  the  classes  should  be  purchased  in 
the  regular  publisher's  binding  unless  they  are  con- 


106  LIBRARY    BOOKBINDING 

stantly  used.  In  other  words,  the  use  a  book  is  to 
receive  is  the  test  of  whether  it  should  be  bound  from 
the  sheets  before  purchase.  Having  decided  that  the 
use  of  a  book  warrants  binding  from  the  sheets,  it  is 
well  to  consider  other  facts. 

i.  It  may  not  always  be  wise  to  bind  from  the 
sheets  all  the  copies  of  a  new  book  by  a  well-known 
author  whose  works  are  always  popular  and  likely  to 
continue  so  for  years.  If  ten  copies  are  approxi- 
mately sufficient  for  use  during  the  first  year,  it  is 
safe  to  say  that  in  most  cases  they  will  be  too  many 
for  the  needs  of  the  library  during  the  second  and 
third  years.  If  they  are  bound  in  leather  before  pur- 
chase they  will  not  wear  out  and  during  the  third 
and  succeeding  years  a  number  of  them  may  be  dead- 
wood  on  the  shelves.  It  is  therefore  wiser  to  buy  a 
few  copies  in  leather  binding  and  the  others  either 
in  a  regular  publishers'  binding,  or  in  some  publish- 
er's cover  reinforced.  When  these  volumes  have 
come  to  the  point  where  they  need  binding  the  period 
of  greatest  popularity  may  have  passed  and  they 
may  be  withdrawn,  thus  saving  the  library  the  expense 
of  binding. 

2.  When  the  book  is  finally  worn  out  and  must 
be  withdrawn  from  circulation,  the  question  always 
arises,  must  it  be  replaced  with  a  new  copy?  The 
majority  of  fiction  and  juvenile  books  so  replaced 
are  books  of  wide  popularity.  Occasionally  a  book, 
such  as  Henry  James'  "Princess  Casamassima,"  or 
W.  D.  Howells'  "Modern  instance,"  is  replaced 
because  the  library  must  have  it  on  the  shelves,  not 


BINDING     BEFORE     PURCHASE  107 

because  it  is  popular.  But  ordinarily  the  popularity 
of  a  book  is  the  determining  factor  in  replacing  worn- 
out  copies.  The  decision  to  replace  carries  with  it 
the  decision  to  keep  a  book  on  the  shelves  indefinitely. 
Since  the  book  has  proved  its  worth  and  is  to  receive 
hard  wear,  the  reasons  which  prevailed  against  buying 
it  in  a  strong  binding  when  it  was  new  no  longer 
exist.  The  strongest  binding  that  can  be  obtained 
suited  to  the  strength  of  the  paper  is  none  too  strong. 

Perhaps  the  most  vehement  objection  to  books 
bound  from  the  sheets  comes  from  those  librarians 
who  have  a  strong  sense  of  aesthetic  values  and  who 
claim  that  these  books  are  not  so  attractive  to  the 
eyes  as  the  regular  books  in  their  bright  and  gay 
publishers'  covers.  The  objection  is  valid.  It  must 
be  admitted  that  the  leather-covered  books  have  the 
appearance  of  strength  and  serviceability,  but  not  of 
beauty.  If  a  reader  knows  that  he  wishes  a  particular 
book,  he  will  not  be  prevented  from  taking  it  because 
of  its  appearance,  but  if  it  is  bound  in  leather  and 
he  knows  nothing  about  it,  he  will  very  likely  pass 
it  over  and  select  some  book  which  has  a  bright, 
attractive  cover.  This  is  true  even  of  adults,  while  of 
children  it  is  doubly  true.  A  large  part  of  the  popu- 
larity of  that  well-known  book,  "Fighting  a  fire,"  is 
due  to  the  attractive  cover  which  almost  always  excites 
the  interest  of  boys  who  happen  to  see  it. 

Although  the  first  cost  of  books  bound  from  the 
sheets  is  always  greater  than  that  of  books  in  the 
regular  publishers'  covers,  it  is  hoped  that  the  econ- 
omy of  buying  them  under  certain  conditions  has 


108  LIBRARY    BOOKBINDING 

been  made  clear.  There  is,  however,  a  cheaper  way 
of  buying  some  books  which  one  would  otherwise 
obtain  in  this  form.  Every  year  many  copies  of 
popular  fiction  and  juvenile  books  find  their  way  to 
the  shelves  of  second-hand  book  dealers.  Some  of 
these  copies  show  signs  of  wear,  while  some  of  them 
are  in  excellent  condition.  In  any  event  it  is  always 
wise  to  submit  a  list  of  replacements  to  some  large 
dealer  in  second-hand  books;  to  buy  such  books  as 
may  be  obtained  from  him  (generally  at  considerably 
less  than  one-half  the  published  price)  ;  and  to  send 
them  at  once  to  a  good  library  binder  for  rebinding 
before  placing  upon  the  shelves  of  the  library.  In 
this  way  one  should  get  from  25  per  cent  to  33/^j  per 
cent  of  fiction  replacements  in  a  substantial  binding 
at  a  cost  much  less  than  the  cost  of  a  book  in  the 
original  publishers'  binding. 


For  those  who  wish  strong  bindings,  but  who 
wish  them  attractive  also,  reinforced  bindings  can  be 
recommended.  Reinforced  books  are  those  which 
have  been  strengthened  either  by  the  publishers  in  the 
regular  course  of  manufacture,  or  by  some  binder  who 
takes  the  book  as  it  comes  from  the  publisher,  removes 
the  cover,  strengthens  the  book  and  puts  it  back  into 
the  same  cover.  A  reinforced  book  generally  appears 
in  the  attractive  publisher's  cover,  and  it  always  ap- 
pears in  some  form  of  cloth,  never  in  leather. 

Owing  to  the  small  number  of  times  which  books 
in  the  original  publishers'  binding  were  issued,  the 


REINFORCED  BOOKS  IOQ 

committee  on  binding  of  the  American  Library  Asso- 
ciation made  an  effort  in  1906  to  induce  the  publishers 
to  issue  a  special  edition  for  library  use.  As  it  was 
recognized  that  the  publishers  would  not  take  kindly 
to  elaborate  specifications  for  stronger  bindings,  the 
improvements  asked  for  were  made  as  few  in  number 
as  possible.  They  were  the  following: 

1.  Sewed  on  three  tapes  (very  small  books  sewed 
on  two  tapes). 

2.  First    and    last     signatures    reinforced     with 
muslin. 

3.  Cloth   strip  in  joints  pasted   on   fly  leaf  and 
sewed  through. 

4.  Thin  strong  muslin  over  backs. 

An  attempt  to  demand  hand-sewed  books  was 
abandoned  when  it  was  discovered  that  this  stipula- 
tion added  greatly  to  the  cost  of  the  binding  without 
noticeably  increasing  its  strength.  The  main  strength 
of  a  book  bound  according  to  these  specifications  lay 
in  the  guarding  of  the  first  and  last  signatures. 

The  honor  of  issuing  the  first  reinforced  book  for 
library  use  belongs  to  Charles  Scribner's  Sons  Co., 
who  in  the  summer  of  1906  bound  1500  copies  of 
F.  Hopkinson  Smith's  "Tides  of  Barnegat."  Their 
specifications,  based  on  those  submitted  by  the 
A.  L.  A.  committee  on  binding,  required  that: 

1.  Signatures    contain    not    more    than    sixteen 
pages ; 

2.  First    and    last    signatures    be    guarded    with 
muslin  before  sewing; 


HO  LIBRARY    BOOKBINDING 

3.  First  and  last  signatures  be  oversewed  (actu- 
ally they  were  run  through  a  sewing  machine)  ; 

4.  Lining   papers   be   guarded   with   strong   drill 
and  sewed  through; 

5.  The  book  be  sewed  on  two  tapes ; 

6.  Highest  grade  super  be  used  for  back-lining; 

7.  Books   be   glued   to   the   back   of   the   cover; 
making  a  tight  back  book ; 

8.  Buckram  be  used  for  the  covers  instead  of  the 
regular  publisher's  cover. 

The  extra  cost  of  the  book  was  ten  cents,  and  it 
was  an  excellent  piece  of  work.  In  actual  wear  the 
books  far  exceeded  the  hopes  of  those  who  favored 
the  plan,  for  they  all  went  through  the  period  of 
greatest  popularity  without  being  withdrawn  from 
circulation.  When  they  came  to  the  point  where  they 
could  no  longer  be  circulated,  most  of  them  were  dis- 
carded instead  of  being  sent  to  the  bindery. 

The  initial  success  of  the  plan  induced  other  pub- 
lishers to  try  the  experiment.  In  1908  one  hundred 
and  twenty  different  books  could  be  obtained  in  re- 
inforced bindings  from  seventeen  publishers.  Among 
these  publishers  were  the  firms  of  Century  Company, 
Harper,  Houghton,  Little  Brown  &  Company,  Mc- 
Clurg,  Putnam,  Scribner's,  Stokes,  and  Warne.  Some 
of  these  books  were  well-bound,  the  publishers  evi- 
dently making  a  conscientious  effort  to  meet  the 
demands  of  the  committee;  others  were  makeshifts 
not  worth  one-half  the  extra  cost. 

The  success  of  "Tides  of  Barnegat"  encouraged 
Charles  Scribner's  Sons  to  give  the  experiment  fur- 
ther trial,  and  from  time  to  time  during  a  period  of 


REINFORCED   BOOKS  I" 

several  months  this  firm  issued  books  bound  in  this 
way.  In  no  case,  however,  was  the  initial  success 
repeated.  After  the  experiments  had  been  tried  by 
the  different  publishers  for  several  months  the  ob- 
stacles to  the  plan,  several  of  which  had  been  fore- 
seen, grew  greater  rather  than  less,  and  in  the  end 
the  publishers  gave  up  the  plan  of  providing  special 
editions  of  new  fiction  and  juvenile  books  for  library 
use. 

The  main  obstacle  to  the  successful  culmination 
of  the  plan  lay  in  the  inability  of  librarians  to  order 
books  before  publication,  and  in  the  inability  of  pub- 
lishers to  make  special  editions  after  the  book  had 
been  published.  The  success  of  "Tides  of  Barnegat" 
was  due  largely  to  the  fact  that  the  author  and  book 
were  well  known  in  advance  of  publication.  Libra- 
rians knew  at  once  that  they  wanted  the  book  and  the 
orders  were  filed  promptly.  In  the  case  of  nearly 
every  other  book  which  Scribner  published  in  this  way 
librarians  could  not  decide  until  they  had  actually 
seen  the  book,  or  at  least  had  seen  reviews  of  it. 
Quite  naturally  they  sent  in  few  orders  for  the  books. 
On  the  other  hand  Scribner  did  not  care  to  bind  a 
large  number  of  books  in  special  binding  unless  they 
had  some  assurance  that  the  books  would  be  sold; 
and  they  could  not  at  any  time  afford  to  manufac- 
ture a  very  small  number.  It  seemed  impossible  to 
bridge  this  gap  which  existed  between  the  publisher 
and  the  librarian. 

Other  reasons  which  worked  against  the  success 
of  the  plan  were: 

(a)     The  apathy  of  the  library  world  in  general. 


"2  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

In  spite  of  efforts  made  both  by  publishers  and  by 
those  librarians  specially  interested;  in  spite  of  the 
proved  success  and  economy  of  the  best  reinforced 
bindings,  librarians  in  general  paid  little  attention  to 
them. 

(b)  The  opposition  of  booksellers.  This  oppo- 
sition was  not  violent  at  any  time;  but  a  special 
edition  for  one  class  of  buyers  inevitably  entailed 
more  labor  upon  jobbers  and  booksellers  with  no 
financial  return,  since  there  was  no  discount  on  the 
ice.  extra  cost.  It  followed  that  orders  from  libra- 
rians for  the  special  library  editions  were  filled  by 
some  jobbers  with  regular  editions;  and  the  time  re- 
.quired  to  exchange  the  copy  of  a  regular  edition  for 
one  of  a  special  edition  was  generally  sufficient  to 
prevent  the  librarian  from  returning  the  books.  Had 
it  been  possible  to  have  one  central  bureau  to  bunch 
orders  and  to  distribute  them,  greater  success  might 
have  resulted. 

While  the  effort  to  induce  publishers  to  issue 
special  library  editions  and  to  keep  them  in  stock 
was  a  failure,  there  were  nevertheless  good  results 
from  the  venture.  While  most  of  the  commercial 
bindings  are  no  better  to-day  than  they  were  ten 
years  ago,  yet  the  publishers  know  that  something 
better  is  needed  for  library  use.  Small  books  which 
are  used  by  children  and  receive  hard  usage  are  as  a 
rule  much  stronger  bound  than  formerly,  and  will 
last  as  long  as  they  are  needed.  As  one  direct  result 
of  the  agitation,  the  well-known  Everyman's  set  can 
now  be  obtained  in  a  library  binding.  Certain  large 


REINFORCED  BOOKS  "3 

reference  books,  such  as  Webster's  and  the  Century 
dictionaries,  U.  S.  Catalog,  etc.,  have  been  put  into 
the  strongest  possible  binding.  In  these  cases  the 
publishers  have  tried  to  meet  the  demands  of  libra- 
rians. 

When  the  ^publishers  ceased  to  make  special  edi- 
tions for  libraries  several  library  binders  undertook 
to  supply  books  in  this  form.  Their  method  was  to 
buy  the  books  from  the  publishers,  remove  the  cov- 
ers, resew  the  books  in  the  most  approved  library 
style  and  replace  the  books  in  the  publisher's  covers. 
When  this  cover  wears  out  the  sewing  is  so  good 
that  it  is  only  necessary  to  recover  either  with  a  reg- 
ular leather-back  binder's  cover,  or  with  a  home- 
made cloth  cover.  By  this  method  the  librarian  is 
assured  of  a  book  in  the  same  cover  as  the  regular 
edition,  the  necessity  of  sending  orders  in  advance  of 
publication  is  obviated,  and  the  publishers,  jobbers 
and  booksellers  do  not  have  to  keep  a  stock  of  a  spe- 
cial edition.  In  practice  the  plan  works  well. 

Librarians  for  years  have  been  annoyed  because 
certain  books,  such  as  the  Brownie  books,  have 
given  such  poor  service  no  matter  how  they  were 
bound.  In  the  original  boards  they  went  to  pieces 
very  quickly  and  the  paper  was  of  such  a  character 
that  they  were  hard  to  rebind.  The  strong  leather 
bindings  bound  from  the  sheets  were  too  strong  be- 
cause the  paper  wore  out  long  before  the  binding. 
In  1912  books  of  this  character,  through  the  initia- 
tive of  Mr.  H.  R.  Huntting  in  Springfield,  Massa- 
chusetts, were  sewed  by  the  Samson-back  method,  a 


H4  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

strong  machine  sewing;  they  were  then  covered  with 
cloth  and  the  paper  covers,  so  attractive  to  children, 
pasted  on  the  outside.  The  cost  of  the  books  was 
much  less  than  that  of  the  leather-back  binding  and 
they  were  much  more  attractive.  The  Samson-back 
method  of  reinforcement  therefore  practically  solved 
the  problem  of  binding  large  thin  books  with  wide 
margins  at  the  back,  precisely  the  books  that  had 
given  librarians  the  most  trouble. 


CHAPTER  VII 

COST 

Binding  is  a  work  of  repair,  not  one  of  expan- 
sion, and  consequently  the  amount  spent  for  this 
purpose  adds  little  to  the  resources  of  the  library,. 
The  modern  librarian  does  not  begrudge  money  for 
salaries ;  heat,  light  and  the  general  up-keep  are 
items  that  cannot  be  reduced  materially  in  most  li- 
braries. But  money  spent  on  binding  reduces  the 
funds  available  for  new  books.  Therefore,  a  study 
of  the  many  ways  in  which  binding  bills  can  be 
made  smaller  is  well  worth  while. 

Two  elements,  material  and  labor,  enter  into  the 
cost  of  binding,  labor  of  course  forming  the  larger 
part.  Since  the  cost  of  labor  varies  in  different  parts 
of  the  United  States,  it  is  impossible  to  give  figures 
of  cost  applicable  to  all  places.  Furthermore,  as  the 
cost  of  both  material  and  labor  is  increasing  con- 
stantly any  statement  made  at  the  present  time  might 
be  wrong  a  year  from  now. 

So  far  as  figures  of  cost  are  concerned,  it  there- 
fore seems  best  to  discuss  maximum  and  minimum 
figures.  On  this  basis  it  is  fair  to  assume  that  it  will 
not  be  necessary  at  any  time  in  the  near  future  to 
pay  more  than  fifty  cents  a  book  for  fiction  and  juve- 


"6  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

nile  books  eight  inches  or  less  in  height,  bound  in 
cowhide,  government  cloth,  or  the  more  expensive 
imperial  morocco  cloth.  For  this  amount  the  libra- 
rian should  get  the  best  binding  obtainable.  As  high 
a  price  as  this  is  actually  charged  by  a  few  binders 
only,  some  of  whom  are  justified  in  so  doing  because 
they  give  full  value  for  the  money,  or  because  the 
cost  of  their  labor  is  high. 

If  less  than  thirty-five  cents  is  paid  for  fiction 
and  juvenile  books  eight  inches  high,  it  is  probable 
that  the  binding  is  not  serviceable  and  therefore  not 
economical ;  but  in  rare  cases  bindings  costing  thirty 
cents  a  volume  will  give  excellent  service.  When 
low  prices  are  charged  the  librarian  should  be  sure 
that,  taking  the  ratio  of  cost  to  circulation  into  con- 
sideration, he  is  getting  full  value.  In  general,  it 
may  be  said  that  he  who  gets  fiction  and  juvenile 
books  well  bound  for  less  than  forty  cents  a  volume 
is  to  be  congratulated.  Naturally,  this  statement 
does  not  apply  to  the  large  libraries  which  bind  a 
large  number  of  books  every  month,  and  can  there- 
fore obtain  better  rates  than  the  smaller  libraries. 

For  books  bound  in  cowhide  or  cloth,  the  cost 
increases  at  the  rate  of  from  fifteen  to  twenty  cents 
a  volume  for  every  two  inches  in  height. 

The  price  of  the  smallest  volumes  bound  in 
morocco  is  considerably  greater  than  of  those  bound 
in  other  materials,  and  the  increase  according  to  size 
is  also  somewhat  greater.  One  dollar  is  the  highest 
price  paid  within  the  knowledge  of  the  writer  for 
an  eight-inch  morocco  book,  and  sixty  cents  the 


COST  "7 

lowest  price.  The  difference  in  the  value  of  the 
work  about  corresponds  to  the  difference  in  price. 

Periodicals  bound  in  government  cloth,  or  duck, 
may  cost  from  fifty-five  cents  to  eighty  cents  a  volume 
ten  inches  or  less  in  height,  increasing  fifteen  cents 
to  twenty  cents  a  volume  for  every  two  inches  in 
height. 

Newspapers  well  bound  should  not  cost  less  than 
$2.00  a  volume,  nor  over  $4.00.  More  variations 
will  be  found  in  the  prices  for  newspapers  than  in 
any  other  kind  of  binding. 

Most  binders  are  paid  a  certain  amount  for  books 
eight  inches  high  or  less,  the  prices  differing  accord- 
ing to  the  material  used.  The  price  in  a  few  cases 
increases  with  each  inch  or  fraction  thereof  in 
height  to  ten  inches ;  in  most  cases  the  increase  is  for 
each  two  inches  or  fraction.  For  example,  a  book 
which  measures  eight  and  one  quarter  inches  in 
height  is  charged  for  at  the  ten  inch  rate.  One 
which  measures  ten  and  one  quarter  inches  at  the 
twelve  inch  rate.  Sometimes  an  extra  charge  for 
books  which  are  much  thicker  than  usual  is  justified. 

The  following  schedule  covers  practically  all  the 
different  sizes  and  materials  which  the  librarian  must 
take  into  consideration.  The  prices  given  are  those 
actually  charged  by  a  good  library  binder. 


LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 


REBINDING 

ADULT  AND  JUVENILE  AND  MISCELLANEOUS  BOOKS  NOT 
EXCEEDING  2  INCHES  IN  THICKNESS 

8  in.      9  in.      10  in.     12  in. 

Half  Pigskin  or  Cowhide 45        55        65        85 

Full  Cloth  (Library  Buckram) 40        50        60        80 

Full  Imperial  Morocco  Cloth 45        55        65        85 

Extra  sizes 
14  in.         16  in.          per  inch 

Half  Pigskin   or  Cowhide i.io        1.30  20  cents 

Full  Cloth    (Library  Buckram).,     i.oo        1.20  15  cents 

Full  Imperial  Morocco  Cloth i.io        1.30  20  cents 

Books  over  2  inches  thick  charged  at  rate  of  size  above. 

MAGAZINES,  PERIODICALS,  SHEET  AND  FOLIO  Music  NOT 
EXCEEDING  4  INCHES  IN  THICKNESS 

8  in.      9  in.      10  in.     12  in. 
Full  Cloth  (Lib.  Buck.)  or  Full  Duck    45 

Full  Imperial  Morocco  Cloth 50 

Half  Cowhide  50 

Half  Pigskin  (English)    55 

Half  Pigskin   (American)    50 

Half  Morocco 65 

Half  Duck  (Waterproof  sides)    45 

14  in. 

Full  Cloth  Lib.  Buck,  or  Full  Duck  i.io 

Full  Imperial   Morocco   Cloth 1.20 

Half  Cowhide    1.30 

Half  Pigskin   (English)    1.35 

Half  Pigskin    (American)    1.30 

Half  Morocco   1.50 

Half  Duck   (Waterproof  sides)    ...  i.io 

Above  prices  include  all  lettering  on  books. 

Books  over  4  inches  thick  charged  at  rate  of  size  larger. 

Newspapers  not  over  30  inches,  in  half  library  buckram 
or  half  duck  $2.25,  or  in  full  duck,  $2.40. 

Special  prices  for  dictionaries,  cyclopedias  and  other  sizes 
not  in  above  schedules. 


55 
60 
65 

65        85 
70       95 
85     i.io 

70 
65 
80 

55 

oo     1.15 
85     i.io 
i.oo     1.25 
65       85 

1  6  in. 

1-35 

Extra  sizes 
per  inch 

15  cents 

1-45 
1.  60 

20  cents 
20  cents 

1.65 
i.  60 

20  cents 
20  cents 

1.85 

25  cents 

1-35 

15  cents 

COST  IIQ 

SUGGESTIONS  FOR  REDUCING  COST 

Following  is  a  statement  of  plans  for  cutting  down 
the  cost  of  binding,  a  few  of  them  being  obviously 
makeshifts  for  the  benefit  of  poor  or  very  small 
libraries. 

BOOKS  BOUND  BEFORE  PURCHASE 

Under  this  head  will  be  found  (in  Chapter  6)  a 
full  statement  of  reasons  for  buying  books  bound  from 
the  sheets. 

REPRINTS  BOUND  BEFORE  PURCHASE 

The  cheap  reprints  of  popular  novels  which  cost 
less  than  one-half  as  much  as  the  original  edition, 
although  attractive  in  appearance,  are  very  poorly 
bound  and  if  bought  in  original  covers  must  be  re- 
bound within  a  short  time  after  they  are  first  placed  on 
the  shelves.  Some  librarians  find  that  it  pays  to  send 
orders  for  books  which  can  be  obtained  in  cheap 
reprints  directly  to  their  binders,  who  buy  the  books 
and  rebind  them  in  the  regular  half-leather  binding 
which  the  library  uses  for  its  rebound  fiction  and 
juvenile.  He  bills  the  books  to  the  library  at  the 
cost  of  the  volume  plus  the  cost  of  binding,  the  total 
in  any  event  being  considerably  less  than  one  dollar. 
Not  over  ninety  cents  should  be  paid  and  eighty-five 
cents  is  the  general  price  for  such  books.  In  this 
way  the  library  gets  a  book  in  a  good,  strong  library 
binding  for  less  than  the  cost  of  the  original  edition 
in  publisher's  cover.  Furthermore  all  labor  involved 
in  sending  the  book  to  the  bindery  and  receiving  it 
again — no  inconsiderable  item — is  eliminated. 


120  LIBRARY   BOOKBINDING 

SECOND-HAND  BOOKS 

Akin  to  the  foregoing  plan  is  the  practice  which 
some  libraries  have  of  sending  lists  of  replacements 
to  dealers  in  second-hand  books  and  having  all  books 
obtained  in  this  way  rebound  at  once  before  putting 
them  into  circulation.  Moreover  this  arrangement 
eliminates  the  time  and  labor  necessary  to  send  a  book 
to  the  'bindery.  Binderies  in  large  cities  can  under- 
take to  supply  second-hand  books,  with  advantages 
both  to  themselves  and  to  the  libraries  employing 
them.  The  library  is  relieved  from  the  necessity  of 
searching  for  second-hand  volumes,  while  the  binder 
can  well  afford  to  do  this  service  for  a  stated  price 
per  volume  which  will  be  reasonable  from  the  library 
point  of  view,  but  which  will  allow  the  binder  profit 
on  all  books  which  he  can  find  at  very  cheap  prices. 
When  such  a  plan  is  adopted  the  binder  should  under- 
stand that  the  library  wants  neither  the  cheap  books 
printed  on  wretched  paper  and  having  very  small 
print,  nor  the  very  fine  editions  with  colored  illustra- 
tions. 

REINFORCEMENTS 

A  reinforced  book  is  one  which  has  been  removed 
from  the  original  publisher's  cover,  strengthened  in 
various  ways  and  put  back  into  the  same  cover.  (See 
chapter  on  this  subject,  page  108.)  In  its  best  form 
it  means  the  complete  resewing  of  the  book  with  an 
overcast  stitch.  It  is  advisable  to  buy  such  books 
frequently,  since  they  preserve  the  attractive  publish- 
er's cover  and  since  they  can  also  be  recovered  by 


COST  121 

the  library  itself  without  resewing.  Statistics  kept 
by  the  Wilmington  Institute  Free  Library  show  that 
such  books  when  properly  recovered  give  as  good 
relative  service  as  those  which  have  been  bound  be- 
fore purchase.  The  main  advantage  lies  in  the 
elimination  of  the  time  necessary  to  send  them  to  the 
bindery  and  the  greater  length  of  service  which  they 
give  at  the  height  of  their  popularity. 

RECOVERING  AT  THE  LIBRARY 

Many  books  which  come  to  the  binding  depart- 
ment require  rebinding  in  order  to  put  them  into  the 
best  condition,  but  the  books  will  be  used  so  little 
that  rebinding  would  not  pay.  In  the  numerous 
cases  in  which  the  sewing  is  in  good  condition  it  will 
be  possible  to  recover  them  at  the  library  and  letter 
them  by  hand.  In  cases  where  the  sewing  is  poor 
it  will  be  possible  to  resew  and  recover.  Such  books 
are  neither  so  strong  nor  so  attractive  as  books  which 
have  been  wholly  rebound,  but  they  can  be  recovered 
at  an  expenditure  of  less  than  fifteen  cents  a  volume, 
as  against  forty  to  fifty  cents  a  volume  for  binding, 
and  are  in  sufficiently  good  condition  to  wear  a  long 
time,  perhaps  as  long  as  the  library  needs  them.  (For 
description  of  the  process  of  recovering  see  page  185.) 

DISCARDING  VALUELESS  BOOKS 

In  the  preceding  case  it  has  been  taken  for  granted 
that  the  books  in  question  add  something  to  the 
resources  of  the  library  and  that  they  must  be  kept. 
Books  that  have  outlived  their  usefulness  because  they 


122  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

have  been  superseded  by  later  editions,  or  by  other 
books  more  authoritative,  in  all  except  the  largest 
libraries  should  be  discarded.  (For  arguments  in 
favor  of  this  see  Chapter  8,  p.  131.) 

LEATHER  vs.  CLOTH 

Notwithstanding  that  he  is  repeating  himself,  the 
writer  wishes  to  emphasize  one  point.  It  may  almost 
be  made  a  general  rule,  though  like  other  rules,  it 
will  not  work  well  at  all  times.  Never  bind  a  seldom 
used  book  in  leather,  or  a  much  used  one  in  cloth. 

CHEAP  EDITIONS 

Money  may  be  saved  by  replacing  books  which 
need  rebinding  with  good  editions  cheaper  than  the 
cost  of  binding.  (See  (/),  page  129.) 

PROPER  CARE 

The  life  of  the  book  in  the  library  may  be  pro- 
longed in  several  ways. 

1.  In  opening  the  leaves  of  uncut  books  at  the 
top  the  paper  knife  should  be  carried  to  the  back  of 
the  book,  using  a  dull  knife  that  is  thin,  long  and 
tapering. 

2.  Many  books  should  be  carefully  opened  before 
being  placed  on  the  shelves.    This  is  done  by  resting 
the  book  on  its  back  and  dropping  the  covers  on  the 
table.     Taking  a  few  leaves  at  a  time  first  at  the  front 
and  then  at  the  back,  press  them  down  carefully  until 
the  middle  of  the  book  is  reached.     If  this  be  done 


COST  123 

there  is  little  chance  that  the  back  of  the  book  will 
be  broken  if  the  book  is  suddenly  opened. 

3.  Books  should  not  be  pressed  tightly  together 
on  the  shelves. 

4.  They  should  not  be  piled  on  other  books  rest- 
ing on  their  fore-edge. 

5.  They  should  not  be  pulled  from  the  shelves 
by  the  head  bands. 

6.  They  should  be  dusted  frequently. 

7.  They  should  be  kept   upright  on  the  shelves 
instead  of  half-fallen  over. 

8.  In  every  way  they  should  be  handled  as  if  they 
were  books,  not  bricks. 


CHAPTER  VIII 
PREPARING  FOR  THE  BINDERY 

To  decide  properly  what  books  should  be  rebound 
and  how  they  should  be  rebound  is  not  a  simple  matter 
nor  one  which  should  be  left  to  an  inexperienced  or 
uneducated  assistant.  In  addition  to  a  good  working 
knowledge  of  materials  and  processes  the  assistant  in 
charge  of  this  work  should  have  a  general  knowledge 
of  books — paper,  editions,  prices,  literary  value,  time- 
liness, etc. — and  good  judgment  in  deciding  whether 
a  book  should  be  bound  or  whether  it  should  be 
mended,  recased,  wrapped  in  paper,  recovered,  or 
thrown  away.  The  binding,  therefore,  should  be  in 
the  hands  of  an  assistant  who  understands  the  de- 
mands of  this  department  of  library  service,  and  for 
economy's  sake  as  well  as  for  the  sake  of  efficiency 
it  should  not  be  shifted  from  one  person  to  another. 

Mr.  Dana  has  shown  in  his  "Notes  on  bookbinding 
for  libraries"  how  essential  it  is  that  binding  assistants 
should  know  books.  Credit  for  much  of  what  here 
appears  in  support  of  that  viewpoint  is  due  him  and 
is  herewith  acknowledged. 

In  considering  the  binding  of  fiction  and  juvenile 
books  the  following  are  some  of  the  questions  which 
the  binding  assistant  must  ask  and  decide  before  de- 
termining whether  a  book  is  to  go  to  the  shelves  in  a 
new  dress,  or  to  the  junk-man  as  waste  paper : 


126  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

(a)  Is  the  book  in  such  poor  condition  that  it 
cannot   be  rebound  or   recased?     If   so,    it   must  be 
discarded.     While  this  decision  is  generally  easy  to 
make,  it  is  sometimes  made  difficult  by  books  which 
are  in  too  good  condition  to  throw  away  and  in  too 
poor  condition  to  rebind.     In  such  cases  the  decision 
must  depend  on  the  popularity  of  the  book.     If  very 
popular,  it  may  be  wise  to  rebind  it,  for  it  must  be 
remembered  that  good  library  binders  can  accomplish 
wonders  with  books  that  are  in  poor  condition. 

Sometimes  the  question  arises  whether  the  book 
is  in  poor  enough  condition  to  need  rebinding.  Per- 
haps it  will  survive  a  few  more  issues  just  as  it  stands. 
If  the  book  is  a  trifle  shaky  in  its  covers,  the  decision 
should  be  to  rebind.  The  binder  can  do  a  better  job 
at  this  time  than  he  can  when  the  book  becomes  more 
worn,  and  the  life  of  the  book  will  be  prolonged  by 
prompt  binding.  If  the  assistant  decides  not  to 
rebind  it,  the  book  will  be  issued  only  a  few  more 
times  before  it  will  have  to  be  withdrawn  from  cir- 
culation and  sent  to  the  repair  room  again.  The 
result  is  a  greater  loss  of  time  with  no  actual  gain  in 
wear. 

(b)  Is  the  book  much  read?    If  it  is  an  old  one 
that  is  evidently  popular,  it  is  reasonable  to  suppose 
that  it  is  the  policy  of  the  library  to  supply  the  demand 
for  this  book,  and  the  book  will  be  rebound  as   a 
matter  of  course.     A  decision  about  new  books  which 
are  popular  is  harder  to  make  because  it  is  fair  to 
ask: 

(c)  Is  the  demand  falling  off?     It  is  here  that 


PREPARING     FOR    THE    BINDERY  127 

the  assistant  must  show  good  judgment.  It  may  be 
that  the  book  can  be  rebound  easily  with  profit,  if 
there  is  a  sufficient  demand  to  keep  all  the  copies  in 
circulation.  It  may  be  that  the  book  is  waning  in 
popularity  and  that  other  copies  in  the  library  are 
ample  to  supply  present  demands.  If  they  are,  the 
copy  in  hand  should  be  canceled,  since  the  cost  of 
binding  will  then  be  saved.  But  the  assistant  should 
ascertain  the  condition  of  the  remaining  copies.  Let 
us  take  the  case  of  a  novel  which  has  been  withdrawn 
from  circulation  because  it  needs  rebinding.  The 
assistant  looks  at  the  record  of  circulation  on  the 
book  card  or  pocket  and  discovers  that  last  year  the 
book  was  issued  four  times  a  month,  while  now  it 
is  issued  only  twice  a  month.  He  finds  also  that 
there  are  four  other  copies.  These  four  copies  should 
be  sufficient  to  meet  present  demands,  and  the  book 
.in  hand  may  be  withdrawn.  But  suppose  that  further 
investigation  shows  that  two  of  the  four  copies  are  in 
very  poor  condition  and  cannot  be  rebound.  If  he 
withdraws  the  one  in  hand,  only  two  good  copies  will 
remain,  and  perhaps  these  are  not  sufficient  to  supply 
the  demand.  On  the  other  hand,  it  is  possible  that 
they  are  sufficient  to  supply  the  demand.  In  any 
event,  the  situation  is  one  which  requires  a  knowledge 
of  the  book  itself,  its  popularity  with  the  public,  and 
general  good  judgment.  The  question  may  be 
summed  up  in  this  way : 

1.  It  is  cheaper  to  rebind  a  book  than  it  is  to 
discard  it  and  later  be  obliged  to  buy  a  new  copy. 

2.  It  is  cheaper  to  discard  a  book  when  it  seems 


128  LIBRARY    BOOKBINDING 

assured   that  the  book's  popularity  is  over,  than  to 
bind  it  and  have  it  remain  for  years  unused. 

(d)  If  the  book  is  much  used,  is  it  a  book  that 
the  library   wishes   to    circulate?     Every   library   has 
certain  books  on  its  shelves  of  which  those  in  authority 
somewhat   disapprove,   but   which    are   very    popular 
and  not  poor  enough  to  be  done  away  with  altogether. 
It   is   sometimes  the  policy  to  supply   only   partially 
the   demand    for   such   books;   sometimes   to   discard 
them    entirely    when    worn    out.     The    good    binding 
assistant  will  remember  the  titles  of  these  books  and 
use  good  judgment  in  dealing  with  them  when  they 
come  into  his  hands. 

(e)  If  the  book  is  not  much  read,  is  it  a  standard 
work?     For  example,  in  the  case  of  a  work  of  An- 
thony   Trollope   the   assistant   discovers   that   it    was 
issued  only  once  during  the  last  year  and  that  it  is 
the  only  copy  in  the  library.     If  he  does  not  "know 
books,"  he  will  be  led  to  believe  that  the  book  has  no 
value  and  will  cancel  it.     In  a  large  library  an  action 
of  this  sort  would  be  unwise;  in  a  small  library  the 
decision  would  depend  upon  the  particular  title.    Most 
libraries  keep  a  book  of  this  particular  class  in  order 
to  supply  the  occasional  demand   for  it.     There  are 
many  books  not  written  by  men  with  the  reputation 
of  Anthony  Trollope  which,  nevertheless,  have  intrin- 
sic worth  and  have  a  small  circle  of  admirers.     They 
may  not  have  great  merit,  but  on  no  account  should 
the  library  be  without  them.     As  examples  of  books 
of  this   kind   we  may  take   Mrs.   Brush's   "Colonel's 
opera  cloak"  and  Theodore  Winthrop's  "John  Brent." 


PREPARING     FOR     THE     BINDERY  I2Q 

(/)  Can  the  book  be  replaced  with  a  good  reprint 
which  will  wear  as  long  as  a  new  binding  and  cost 
less?  While  there  are  not  many  cases  in  which  this 
can  be  done,  the  assistant  should  watch  for  them. 
The  most  noteworthy  reprints  which  will  meet  these 
requirements  are  the  volumes  in  Everyman's  Library. 
In  the  original  Everyman's  edition  these  were  entirely 
unsuited  for  library  use,  but  in  1910  they  were  all  put 
into  a  strong  library  binding.  In  the  cloth  edition 
they  sell  for  thirty-five  cents  a  volume  and  can  easily 
be  issued  from  forty  to  fifty  times  before  being  dis- 
carded. This  makes  the  cost  for  each  issue  as  small 
as  can  be  oBtained  by  binding  higher-priced  editions. 

The  following  case,  which  actually  happened,  illus- 
trates the  point,  although  the  books  are  not  fiction, 
Grote's  "History  of  Greece,"  in  twelve  volumes,  was 
in  bad  condition ;  several  of  the  cloth  backs  were 
torn  and  the  sewing  of  all  the  volumes  was  loose.  It 
was  decided  to  send  the  books  to  be  rebound  at  a  cost 
of  $5.40.  Before  doing  so,  the  list  of  Everyman's 
Library  was  consulted  and  it  was  found  that  the  work 
could  be  obtained  in  that  form  in  twelve  volumes  at 
a  cost  of  $4.20,  a  clear  saving  of  $1.20,  or  over  20 
per  cent.  The  work  was  seldom  used,  yet  it  was 
necessary  to  have  the  set  on  the  shelves;  the  Every- 
man's edition  answered  every  purpose,  and  will  un- 
doubtedly last  as  long  as  the  rebound  set  would  have 
done.  Unfortunately,  owing  to  copyright  provisions, 
comparatively  few  of  the  books  which  are  constantly 
wearing  out  can  be  obtained  in  this  edition. 

(g)     Is  it  an  old  edition,  with  poor  paper  and 


130  LIBRARY    BOOKBINDING 

poor  type?  A  book  of  this  sort  should  never  be  re- 
bound but  should  be  discarded  and  a  new  copy  pur- 
chased even  if  the  cost  of  a  new  copy  be  much  greater 
than  that  of  rebinding. 

(h)  If  the  book  is  the  only  copy  in  the  library 
and  is  read  not  oftener  than  once  in  ten  years,  should 
it  be  kept  because  it  is  important  historically?  Good 
examples  of  this  class  of  unused  books  are  the  works 
of  Charles  Brockden  Brown.  They  are  not  interest- 
ing at  the  present  time,  but  when  first  published  were 
much  read.  Every  student  of  American  literature 
should  read  them,  and  they  should  be  on  the  shelves 
of  all  except  the  small  libraries.  Here  again  good 
judgment  is  called  for  on  the  part  of  the  assistant. 

(*)  Is  the  book  used  so  seldom  that  it  can  be 
recased  or  recovered  by  the  library?  The  process  of 
recasing  (described  on  page  184)  can  be  used  in  the 
case  of  small-sized  books  which  have  covers  showing 
little  evidence  of  wear,  and  which  do  not  receive  hard 
usage.  The  process  of  recovering  (described  on  page 
185)  can  be  used  on  leather-bound  books  which  have 
cracked  at  the  joints.  In  either  case  the  sewing  must 
be  perfectly  sound. 

(;')  Finally,  let  us  suppose  that  we  have  asked 
all  the  foregoing  questions  and  are  still  undecided 
what  to  do.  There  will  be  very  few  cases  of  the  kind. 
Perhaps  the  best  solution  is  to  wrap  the  book  in 
paper,  letter  it  with  author,  title  and  call  number, 
and  transfer  it  from  the  fiction  shelves  to  the  regular 
literature  shelves.  It  may  stay  there  for  years  unused 
and  yet  be  at  hand  when  finally  called  for. 


PREPARING     FOR    THE    BINDERY  131 

With  books  other  than  fiction  and  juvenile  many 
of  the  same  questions  must  be  asked.  In  addition, 
however,  it  is  sometimes  necessary  to  ask  the  follow- 
ing: 

(a)  Are    there    later    editions    which    are    more 
valuable?     This   question   will   arise   with    frequency 
especially  in  the  case  of  scientific,  technical  and  refer- 
ence books,  and  careful  judgment  must  be  exercised 
in  making  decisions.     It  often  happens  that  a  later 
edition  of  a  technical  book  has  little  more  value  than 
the    one    which    precedes    it;    frequently    it    entirely 
supersedes  the  earlier  edition.     In  the  one  case  the 
book  can  be  rebound  with  profit,  in  the  other  it  is 
best  to  discard  it  and  buy  the  latest  edition.     Some 
libraries  keep  all  the  editions  of  a  book  for  historical 
purposes ;   but   most   libraries,   especially   the   smaller 
ones,  will  do  better  to  discard  older  editions  when 
they    are    superseded    by    later    ones.      Sometimes   a 
book  has  no  later  edition,  but  its  place  has  been  en- 
tirely taken  by  the  work  of  other  authors.     In  such 
cases   it   should   be   remembered  that   an   out-of-date 
technical  book  in  the  hands  of  an  inexperienced  per- 
son frequently  causes  more  harm  than  good.     It  may 
cost  more  to  buy  a  new  book  than  to  rebind  an  old 
one;  yet  this  is  exactly  what  should  be  done  in  every 
such  case  if  the  funds  of  the  library  permit. 

(b)  May  not  the  library  be  better  off  without 
either  the  book  or  a  substitute?     In  the  past  libra- 
rians have  hesitated  to  discard  any  book  which  has 
once  been  placed  on  the  shelves.    They  have  believed 
that  all  printed  matter  has   value  and  that  a  book 


132  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

which  belongs  to  the  library  is  sacred  and  must  on 
no  account  be  destroyed.  It  is  difficult  to  defend 
such  an  attitude.  If  we  admit  for  the  time  being 
that  the  librarian  never  makes  mistakes  in  acquir- 
ing books,  still  it  is  sure  to  happen  that  many 
books  will  outlive  their  usefulness,  except  as  a  part 
of  the  history  or  bibliography  of  the  subject.  Why 
should  they  be  kept  on  the  shelves  when  they  are  not 
used  and  ought  not  to  be  used?  It  cannot,  of  course, 
be  admitted  that  the  librarian  makes  no  mistakes  in 
acquiring  books;  every  library  in  the  country  will 
show  examples  of  poor  selection.  Why,  after  a  mis- 
take has  been  made,  refuse  to  admit  it?  If  the 
original  purchase  (or  acceptance  of  a  gift)  was  a 
mistake,  to  keep  the  book  on  the  shelves  simply  per- 
petuates the  mistake  and  adds  to  the  expense  of 
maintenance.  It  is  no  crime  to  discard  a  book.  On 
the  contrary,  in  many  cases,  it  is  the  only  sensible 
thing  to  do.  In  doubtful  cases,  however,  the  book 
should  be  kept. 

ARRANGEMENT 

If  the  final  decision  is  to  bind  the  book  the  next 
step  is  to  arrange  the  book  in  the  way  in  which  it 
should  be  bound.  The  question  of  collation  is  one 
on  which  there  has  been  a  difference  of  opinion. 
Some  librarians  have  claimed  that  it  is  best  to  collate 
books  at  the  library  in  order  to  prevent  imperfect 
books  being  bound,  since  it  is  always  disappointing 
to  discover,  after  a  book  has  been  bound,  that  it  is 
incomplete.  In  the  great  majority  of  cases,  how- 


PREPARING     FOR     THE     BINDERY  133 

ever,  collation  is  a  waste  of  time,  since  good  binders 
refuse  to  bind  imperfect  volumes.  In  the  case  of 
very  valuable  books,  especially  those  with  many 
plates,  and  even  in  the  case  of  less  valuable  books 
which  have  many  illustrations  not  paged-in,  it  may 
be  best  to  collate  at  the  library  since  it  is  obviously 
unfair  to  the  binder  to  expect  him  to  be  responsible 
for  anything  except  the  main  paging.  Fiction  or 
juvenile  books  may  sometimes  be  bound  when  one  or 
two  pages  are  missing.  Juvenile  books,  especially, 
often  go  to  the  bindery  with  missing  pages.  Many 
times  these  missing  pages  are  not  especially  import- 
ant and  in  these  cases  it  seems  more  economical  to 
bind  the  book  than  to  buy  a  new  copy.  If  the  number 
of  missing  pages  is  not  too  great  they  may  be  type- 
written from  other  copies.  Books  other  than  fiction 
or  juvenile  should  seldom  be  bound  in  an  imperfect 
condition. 

Another  exception  to  the  rule  of  sending  books 
uncollated  is  in  the  case  of  popular  periodicals,  such 
as  Scribner's,  Harper's,  Century,  etc.,  where  the  li- 
brary has  only  one  copy  which  it  binds.  Since  peri- 
odicals frequently  become  torn  and  mutilated  and 
must  be  replaced  it  will  save  delay  in  having  the  vol- 
umes bound,  if  the  collation  is  done  at  the  library. 

But  while  collation  is  generally  unnecessary,  ar- 
rangement in  proper  order  is  essential.  In  dealing 
with  periodicals  this  is  not  always  an  easy  task. 
They  should  first  be  examined  to  see  that  all  the 
numbers  are  in  hand,  and  that  there  is  a  title-page 
and  an  index.  It  would  seem  as  if  there  were  little 

10 


134  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

chance  to  go  astray  in  doing  this,  yet  the  vagaries  of 
periodicals  are  innumerable  and  nothing  must  be 
taken  for  granted.  If  only  five  monthly  numbers 
are  found  when  there  should  be  six  to  complete  the 
volume,  it  is  not  best  to  conclude  hastily  that  it  is  in- 
complete. Sometimes  the  cover  indicates  that  two 
numbers  are  published  in  one.  If  it  is  not  so  indi- 
cated one  must  look  at  the  paging.  If  the  paging  is 
consecutive,  and  there  is  a  title-page  and  index,  it  is 
safe  to  assume  that  the  volume  is  complete,  even  if  a 
number  is  apparently  missing. 

The  general  rule  for  arranging  periodicals  is: 
Place  title  page  at  the  beginning,  followed  by  table 
of  contents,  text,  and  index  at  the  end.  Periodicals 
in  English  are  generally  easy  to  arrange,  though 
even  in  this  case  one  must  know  whether  the  period- 
ical in  hand  is  in  the  habit  of  publishing  supplements 
which  are  paged  separately,  but  which  are  called  for 
by  the  table  of  contents.  If  such  supplements  are 
omitted  the  volume  is  incomplete.  An  example  of  a 
periodical  of  this  class  was  the  Annals  of  the  Amer- 
ican Academy  of  Political  and  Social  Science,  before 
it  changed  to  its  method  of  issuing  each  number  as  a 
separate  volume.  Many  volumes  of  English  period- 
icals such  as  All  the  Year  Round,  Household  Words, 
etc.,  have  been  bound  without  the  Christmas  supple- 
ments, which  those  periodicals  always  issued.  A  few 
periodicals  in  English  have  two  or  more  sets  of 
pagings  either  in  each  number,  or  in  some  of  the 
numbers  and  not  in  others.  When  the  numbers  are 
taken  apart  and  the  proper  pagings  grouped  together, 
the  table  of  contents  will  generally  indicate  how  these 


PREPARING    FOR    THE    BINDERY  135 

should  be  arranged.  But  if  not,  it  is  usually  readily 
apparent  which  is  the  main  paging  and  which  the 
minor  paging  or  pagings. 

Though  rarely  found  in  periodicals  printed  in 
English,  this  exasperating  condition  of  affairs  fre- 
quently exists  in  foreign  periodicals.  The  Germans 
are  especially  fond  of  printing  several  different  parts 
in  the  same  number.  Frequently  a  long  monograph 
will  begin  in  the  first  number  of  a  volume  and  ex- 
tend through  two  or  more  volumes.  When  com- 
pleted it  may  or  may  not  have  a  special  title-page 
and  index  of  its  own.  Perhaps  the  table  of  contents 
of  the  last  volume  in  which  part  of  it  has  appeared 
will  call  for  it  as  a  supplement  to  that  volume.  Per- 
haps it  does  not.  In  any  event  the  paging  must  be 
removed  from  the  first  and  succeeding  volumes  until 
the  monograph  is  finally  complete.  If  it  is  not  called 
for  by  any  regular  title-page  or  table  of  contents,  it 
may  be  bound  separately.  Sometimes  a  periodical 
will  appear  in  two  or  more  parts  each  month,  each 
part  covering  some  phase  of  the  larger  subject  indi- 
cated by  the  general  title  of  the  periodical.  These 
parts  will  be  paged  separately  and  numbered  differ- 
ently but  will  have  the  same  kind  of  cover,  and  care 
must  be  used  to  keep  the  proper  parts  together. 
Peculiarities  and  irregularities  of  this  sort  make  peri- 
odicals veritable  puzzles,  some  of  which  it  may  take 
months  to  solve. 

In  arranging  periodicals,  front  covers  having  a 
different  color  from  the  text  must  be  kept  to  facili- 
tate use. 

Advertisements   as   a   rule   should  not  be  bound. 


136  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

Since  they  are  a  part  of  the  history  of  the  times,  it 
is  desirable  for  a  few  of  the  largest  libraries  to  bind 
the  advertising  pages  of  one  or  two  numbers  a  year 
in  each  periodical.  Other  libraries  should  throw  them 
away.  It  is  not  necessary  to  remove  them  entirely 
before  sending  the  volumes  to  the  bindery;  tearing 
down  two  or  three  inches  on  pages  which  are  to  be 
discarded  is  sufficient  indication  to  the  binder  that 
they  are  not  to  be  bound. 

Several  magazines,  such  as  McClure's  and  Every- 
body's, have,  for  several  years,  made  a  practice  of 
leaving  articles  unfinished  in  the  main  paging  and 
continuing  them  on  advertising  pages.  This  is  an 
annoying  practice  since  great  care  must  be  taken  to 
see  that  all  text  matter  is  complete,  even  if  it  becomes 
necessary  to  bind  all  advertising  pages. 

Many  periodicals,  especially  those  of  a  scientific 
character,  contain  plates  which  are  not  paged-in.  If 
these  are  scattered  through  the  text  they  may  be 
allowed  to  stay  there,  but  if  they  are  grouped  to- 
gether at  the  end  of  each  number  they  should  be 
placed  together  in  proper  order  at  the  end  of  the 
complete  volume. 

The  vagaries  of  periodical  publishers  are  shown 
as  much  in  the  way  in  which  they  issue  (or  do  not 
issue)  title-pages  and  indexes  as  in  any  other  way. 
The  proper  way,  which  is  seldom  done,  is  to  issue 
both  title-page  and  index  in  the  last  number  of  each 
volume.  Some  publishers  issue  them  in  the  first 
number  of  the  next  volume;  some  at  various  times 
during  the  publication  of  the  succeeding  volume. 


PREPARING     FOR     THE    BINDERY  137 

Some  publish  a  title-page  at  the  beginning  of  the  first 
number  of  a  volume  and  an  index  when  the  spirit 
moves.  Some  publish  a  title-page  but  no  index  or 
table  of  contents.  Others  publish  a  title-page  and 
table  of  contents  but  do  not  send  them  unless  re- 
quested to  do  so.  Many  publish  neither  title-page  nor 
index,  and  perfectly  reputable  periodicals  which  have 
published  these  essential  parts  of  a  periodical  for 
twenty  years  or  more  will  suddenly  cease  publishing 
them.  It  is  evident  that  title-pages  and  indexes  are 
nuisances  in  preparing  periodicals  for  the  bindery. 

The  assistant  in  charge  should  keep  a  record 
showing  (a)  which  publishers  must  be  asked  to  send 
title-pages  and  indexes,  and  this  should  be  done  as 
soon  as  possible  after  the  volumes  are  complete; 

(b)  in  which  number  of  a  periodical  title-pages  and 
indexes  may  be  looked  for  if  they  come  regularly; 

(c)  which  periodicals  do  not  publish  title-pages  and 
indexes. 

If  lack  of  funds  makes  it  impossible  to  bind  peri- 
odicals and  they  must  be  wrapped  in  paper  it  is 
highly  important  that  title-pages  and  indexes  be  in- 
cluded, since  it  may  be  impossible  to  obtain  them 
when  funds  permit  binding. 

Changes  in  the  size  of  periodicals  are  a  cause  of 
annoyance.  The  annoyance  is  not  great  when  the 
change  is  from  a  large  quarto  to  an  octavo,  for  the 
cost  of  binding  an  octavo  is  considerably  less  than 
that  of  a  quarto.  Unfortunately,  the  present  ten- 
dency is  almost  wholly  the  other  way.  Many  period- 
icals, for  years  published  in  a  comfortable  octavo 


138  LIBRARY    BOOKBINDING 

size  have  been  changed  to  a  much  larger  size.  This 
in  itself  is  exasperating,  but  in  addition  the  pub- 
lishers apparently  make  no  effort  to  change  the  size 
with  the  beginning  of  a  new  volume,  so  that  part  of 
a  volume  will  be  of  one  size  and  part  of  another.  In 
such  cases  the  troubles  of  the  binding  assistant  may 
be  readily  imagined. 

While  it  is  highly  important  to  bind  only  complete 
volumes  of  periodicals,  it  is  occasionally  permissible 
to  bind  volumes  with  guards  for  missing  numbers 
which  may  be  inserted  later  if  they  are  obtained. 
This  method  makes  it  possible  to  put  a  volume  into 
permanent  form  better  suited  for  use  than  unbound 
numbers,  and  prevents  further  loss  of  numbers 
already  in  hand.  It  can  be  done  only  when  the 
numbers  are  very  thin,  particularly  in  the  case  of 
newspapers. 

Quite  a  number  of  periodicals  have  so  few  pages 
in  each  number  that  a  complete  volume  makes  a 
very  thin  book.  In  such  cases  it  is  best  to  bind  two 
volumes  in  one  at  the  cost  of  one. 

Among  other  material  which  passes  through  the 
hands  of  a  binding  assistant  are  the  annual  reports 
of  various  organizations — religious,  charitable,  fra- 
ternal, governmental,  etc.  In  large  libraries  these 
must  be  bound  for  permanent  preservation.  In  small 
libraries  the  annual  reports  of  all  local  organizations 
should  be  bound  if  funds  permit,  others  wrapped  in 
paper  and  lettered  on  the  wrapper.  Whether  they 
are  to  be  bound  or  wrapped  in  paper,  they  should  be 
grouped  by  regular  periods,  preferably  five  or  ten 


PREPARING     FOR     THE     BINDERY  139 

reports  in  a  volume,  according  to  size,  following  the 
decades  or  half  decades. 

INSTRUCTIONS   TO   THE  BINDER 

Having  decided  that  the  volume  must  be  bound 
and  having  arranged  it  in  its  proper  order,  the  next 
step  is  to  indicate  to  the  binder  how  it  is  to  be  bound 
and  lettered.  Various  methods  have  been  used  to 
indicate  style  and  lettering.  Some  libraries  have  an 
elaborate  binding  slip,  giving  on  one  side  the  differ- 
ent materials,  colors,  etc.,  and  having  the  other  di- 
vided into  panels  for  lettering.  A  slip  is  made  for 
each  book  and  the  binder  follows  it  carefully.  Some 
libraries  arrange  an  arbitrary  system  with  the  binder 
making  one  letter  or  figure  indicate  much  that  other- 
wise would  have  to  be  written  in  full.  For  example, 
"C"  under  such  an  arrangement  might  mean  "Bind 
in  one-half  red  cowhide  with  green  cloth  sides." 
Some  librarians  give  a  general  blanket  order  to  bind 
all  fiction  in  one  way  and  all  juvenile  books  in 
another. 

For  most  books  in  English,  except  periodicals, 
lettering  need  not  be  indicated  on  a  binding  slip.  All 
that  is  necessary  is  to  underscore  lightly  on  the  title 
page  the  first  letter  of  words  which  must  be  used. 
The  call  number  may  be  put  on  a  binding  slip  enclosed 
in  the  book,  or  in  the  case  of  fiction  and  juvenile  books, 
it  may  be  pencilled  lightly  on  the  title  page,  thus 
doing  away  altogether  with  the  binding  slip.  If  there 
is  a  chance  for  misunderstanding  on  the  part  of  the 


HO  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

finisher,  or  if  an  author's  real  name  must  be  used 
instead  of  a  pseudonym  which  appears  on  the  title 
page,  a  binding  slip  must  be  filled  out  giving  exact 
lettering. 

While  exact  lettering  on  a  binding  slip  is  not 
essential  for  ordinary  books,  it  is  necessary  for 
periodicals,  each  set  of  which  should  be  bound  and 
lettered  uniformly.  This  may  be  assured  by  making 
out  a  binding  slip  giving  in  full  the  title,  dates  cov- 
ered, volume  number  and  call  number,  if  one  is  used. 
The  slip  goes  to  the  bindery  with  the  book,  and  when 
the  volume  is  returned  is  filed  so  that  when  the  next 
volume  is  to  be  bound  the  slip  can  be  consulted  and 
a  new  one  written  with  the  necessary  changes  in 
volume  number  and  dates.  The  chief  value  of  the 
slip  is  to  show  exactly  how  the  previous  volume  has 
been  bound,  so  that  the  following  volumes  can  be 
made  uniform  if  possible. 

A  carbon  copy  of  binding  slips  for  periodicals 
should  be  made,  to  be  kept  at  the  library  for  charging 
purposes. 

When  binding  volumes  which  are  a  part  of  a  set, 
other  than  a  periodical,  a  slip  must  be  made  to  be  kept 
on  file  so  that  when  another  volume  of  the  set  comes 
to  hand  it  will  not  be  necessary  to  visit  the  shelves 
to  see  wliether  other  volumes  have  been  bound  and 
how  they  have  been  bound. 

In  finishing  periodicals  the  position  of  lettering 
and  the  size  of  type  used  may  be  kept  uniform  if  the 
binder  takes  what  is  called  a  "rub"  or  "rub-off"  of 
the  book  after  it  is  lettered  and  keeps  it  on  file  at 


PREPARING     FOR    THE    BINDERY  141 

the  bindery.  This  can  easily  be  made  by  laying  a 
sheet  of  thin,  but  tough,  paper  over  the  back  and 
rubbing  it  with  shoemaker's  heel-ball  which  will  show 
white  lettering  on  a  black  background.  When  the 
next  volume  comes  to  the  bindery  the  "rub-off"  shows 
exact  height  of  boards,  exact  position  of  lettering  and 
size  of  type. 

A  few  libraries  have  had  a  dummy  back  made  for 
each  periodical  showing  color  and  kind  of  material 
in  addition  to  other  details.  But  the  cost  of  a  dummy 
is  not  slight  and  a  new  one  must  be  made  whenever 
any  change  in  title  or  size  occurs.  Large  college  or 
reference  libraries  may  need  dummy  backs  for  their 
numerous  sets  of  foreign  periodicals  having  various 
marks,  such  as  umlauts,  etc.,  over  or  under  letters. 
When  a  library  operates  its  own  bindery  it  is  possible 
to  send  the  last  bound  volume  as  a  sample.  While 
this  adds  much  to  the  routine,  its  main  advantage  is 
that  it  eliminates  the  possibility  of  mistakes  due  to 
defective  dummy  or  indistinct  "rub-off." 

LETTERING 

It  is  necessary  that  binders  understand  exactly 
how  books  are  to  be  lettered,  what  kind  of  type  to 
use  and  the  position  on  the  back  of  the  book  which 
each  item  of  information  must  have.  There  are  dif- 
ferences of  opinion  as  to  the  best  ways  of  lettering, 
but  it  is  essential  that  every  librarian  have  uniformity 
in  his  own  library,  even  if  he  disagrees  with  his  fellow 
workers.  In  all  lettering  a  bold,  clear  type  should  be 


142  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

used,  and  all  figures  should  be  in  Arabic,  since  it  is 
plainer  than  Roman. 

In  most  leather  bindings  the  back  is  divided  into 
five  or  six  panels,  making  it  possible  to  obtain  uni- 
formity by  setting  aside  each  panel  for  a  definite 
purpose.  If  desired,  another  narrow  panel  may  be 
made  in  which  to  stamp  a  mark  of  ownership.  Panel- 
ing is  a  useful  device  in  the  case  of  books  which  are 
eight  inches  or  more  in  height,  but  in  the  case  of 
juvenile  books  and  fiction  it  may  be  omitted  entirely. 
As  most  of  these  books  require  simply  author,  title 
and  call  number,  if  one  be  used,  the  device  of  panel- 
ing adds  to  the  labor  in  binding  and  serves  no  useful 
purpose  in  the  library.  It  should  be  used  on  most 
other  books  bound  in  leather  and  on  all  periodicals 
bound  in  cloth  or  duck. 

Which  shall  go  at  the  top  of  the  book,  author  or 
title?  In  favor  of  the  title  it  can  be  claimed  that  all 
publishers  letter  the  title  first  with  the  author  second ; 
and  since  in  non-fiction  the  books  in  publishers'  covers 
on  the  shelves  will  outnumber  the  rebound  books,  it  is 
advisable  to  put  the  title  first  in  order  to  have  uni- 
formity. On  the  other  hand,  it  can  be  claimed  that 
the  arrangement  under  the  class  is  by  author,  that 
most  library  assistants  look  for  the  author  rather  than 
the  title,  and  that  it  is  therefore  advisable  to  put  the 
most  important  item  of  information  at  the  top  in  the 
position  of  greatest  prominence.  In  the  opinion  of 
the  writer  this  advantage  outweighs  any  other. 

It  may  be  assumed,  therefore,  that  the  best  ar- 
rangement is  author,  title,  volume  number  if  neces- 


PREPARING    FOR    THE    BINDERY  143 

sary,  and  call  number.  In  the  case  of  fiction,  juvenile 
books  and  all  other  books  from  which  it  seems  desir- 
able to  omit  panels,  these  items  will  be  put  on  with 
sufficient  space  between  to  make  them  independent  of 
each  other.  The  bottom  of  the  call  number  should 
be  i1/^  or  1 l/2  inches  from  the  tail  of  the  book  on  all 
books  in  the  library,  except  oversized  books,  which 
should  have  the  call  number  at  the  top  (Fig.  16).  If 
panels  are  used,  the  author's  name  should  be  near  the 
bottom  of  the  first  panel,  the  title  in  the  second, 
volume  number  in  the  fourth  and  call  number  in  the 
fifth  (Fig.  15). 

If  two  books  are  bound  together,  letter,  author 
and  title  of  the  second  book  in  the  third  panel  (Fig. 

17). 

When  a  work  is  in  more  than  one  volume  with 
separate  titles  for  each  volume,  place  the  author's 
name  in  the  first  panel,  general  title  in  the  second, 
volume  in  the  third  and  the  title  of  the  particular 
volume  in  the  fourth  (Fig.  18). 

If  six  panels  are  used,  each  item  is  dropped  one 
panel. 

In  most  cases  the  author's  last  name  is  sufficient, 
but  occasionally  it  may  be  necessary  to  use  initials  to 
distinguish  between  authors  having  the  same  name. 
Use  both  surnames  of  joint  authors  (Fig.  19).  For 
pseudonyms  use  the  form  adopted  by  the  cataloging 
department.  For  example,  if  the  catalog  entry  is 
under  Clemens  instead  of  Twain,  letter  Clemens  on 
the  book.  Both  real  name  and  pseudonym  may  be 
put  on  the  back,  but  it  does  not  seem  necessary.  In 


144 


LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 


Beecher 

9I4-5 
James 

Patton 

Bancroft 

Sermons 

Italian 
Hours 

Home 
And    School 
Sewing 

Works 

Rorer 
Hot    Weather 
Dishes 

30 

I 

Oregon 

2 

252 

641 
R694 

979-5 

B22 

Fig.  15 

Fig.  16 

Fig.  17 

Fig.  1  8 

Kipling 
Balestier 

Plato 

National 
Conference   on 
City  Planning 

Naulahka 

Dialogues 

Proceedings 

Nineteenth 
Century 

Jowett 

I 

I 

Chicago 

Jan.  -June 
1894 
35 

K575 

888 
P6g 

352 
N23 

Fig.  19 


Fig.  20 


Fig.  21 


Fig.  22 


PREPARING     FOR     THE    BINDERY 


145 


Nature 

National 
Municipal 
Review 

Littel's 
Living 
Age 

Independent 

Nov.  1895 
Apr.  1896 

S3 

1913 

2 

July-  Sep. 
1888 

178 

Apr.  -June 
1903 
55 
Part  2 

Series  5 
63 

Fig.  23 


Fig.  24 


Fig.  25 


Fig.  26 


Punch 


1882 
82-83 


Fig.  27 


O 
3. 


•. 

3 


O 
00 


Fig.  28 


Harper's 
Magazine 

Monist 

Index 
1-40 

1908 
18 

Index 
1-17 

Fig.  29 


Fig.  30 


146  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

the  case  of  the  classics  add  the  name  of  translator 
or  editor  in  the  panel  under  the  title  (Fig.  20). 

When  the  names  of  foreign  cities  or  countries  must 
be  placed  in  the  author  panel,  use  the  English  form. 
Names  of  government  departments,  bureaus,  etc., 
should  be  inverted  if  necessary  to  bring  the  distinctive 
word  first.  For  example,  use  Health  bureau,  not 
Bureau  of  health. 

In  lettering  titles  it  is  seldom  desirable  to  omit 
the  first  part  of  the  title  in  order  to  use  words  which 
are  more  distinctive,  in  other  words,  to  use  a  binder's 
title.  If  it  is  necessary  it  should  be  done  with 
care  and  discrimination.  Ordinarily,  give  first  words, 
omitting  articles.  Very  long  titles  must  be  con- 
densed, sometimes  at  the  expense  of  clearness. 

Proceedings  of  organizations  which  meet  in  dif- 
ferent cities  should  have  the  name  of  the  place  of 
the  meeting  lettered  in  the  third  panel  (Fig.  21 ).. 

On  periodicals,  the  author  panel  is  left  vacant  and 
the  title  of  the  periodical  given  in  full  in  the  second 
panel.  Here  it  is  never  permissible  to  omit  first  words, 
except  articles.  Letter  "American  review  of  re- 
views," not  "Review  of  reviews."  In  case  of  foreign 
periodicals  it  may  be  necessary  to  place  a  sub-title  in 
the  third  panel  when  a  periodical  is  issued  in  two  or 
more  parts  and  each  part  bound  separately  with  a 
distinct  title  page.  With  this  exception,  leave  the 
third  panel  vacant  and  letter  date  and  volume  number 
in  the  fourth  panel.  Place  first  the  months  covered 
by  the  volume,  followed  by  the  year  (Figs.  22  and  23.) 


PREPARING     FOR     THE     BINDERY  147 

Use  the  first  three  letters  of  each  month,  except  June 
and  July,  which  should  be  given  in  full.  On  foreign 
periodicals  use  the  English  abbreviations  for  months. 
If  the  volume  covers  the  calendar  year  the  months 
may  be  omitted  (Fig.  24).  In  the  same  panel  place 
the  volume  number  beneath  the  year. 

If  the  periodical  has  more  than  one  series  give 
dates  and  total  volume  number,  placing  underneath 
the  series  number  and  volume  of  series  (Fig  25). 

If  the  unbound  volume  of  a  periodical  is  too  large 
to  be  bound  in  one  book,  bind  it  in  two  volumes  and 
letter  the  exact  months  in  each  part,  placing  "Part  i" 
and  "Part  2"  underneath  the  volume  number  (Fig. 
26). 

If  two  volumes  are  bound  in  one  give  the  inclusive 
volume  numbers  (Fig.  27). 

In  the  case  of  periodicals  having  more  than  one 
series  and  which  are  indexed  in  Poole's  index  or 
the  Readers'  guide,  the  volume  number  given  first 
should  correspond  with  the  one  given  in  the  indexes,, 

Thin  volumes  must  be  lettered  lengthwise  in  the 
same  order  as  outlined  above.  Always  letter  from 
head  to  tail.  This  facilitates  reading  on  the  shelves, 
since  shelves  are  naturally  read  from  left  to  right.  In 
lettering  lengthwise  place  the  book  number  below  the 
class  number,  if  there  is  room,  if  not,  after  the  class 
number  with  a  hyphen  between  (Fig.  28). 

Oversized  books  which  must  be  shelved  on  their 
sides  should  also  be  lettered  from  head  to  tail. 

If  the  book  is  an  index  complete  in  itself  letter 


148  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

the  word  "Index"  in  the  fourth  panel,  followed  by 
the  inclusive  volume  numbers  covered  by  the  index 
(Fig.  29). 

If  a  periodical  index  covering  several  volumes  is 
included  at  the  end  of  one  of  the  volumes,  place  the 
word  Index  and  the  inclusive  volume  numbers  under- 
neath the  dates  and  regular  volume  number  (Fig.  30). 

Other  questions  are  sure  to  arise,  but  they  can 
be  solved  satisfactorily  if  it  be  remembered  that  the 
essentials  are  definiteness  and  clearness. 


CHAPTER   IX 
BINDING  RECORDS  AND  ROUTINE 

Binding  records  must  be  as  simple  as  possible,  but 
they  should 

1.  Instruct  the  binder. 

2.  Show  what  books  are  in  the  bindery  and  when 
they  were  sent. 

3.  Show   how   previous   volumes   of  a   set   have 
been  bound. 

4.  Act  as  a  check  on  books  when  returned. 

5.  Show  the  cost  of  binding. 

Some  librarians  keep  a  record  of  all  books  bound, 
called  a  "binding  book."  To  the  writer  the  need  of 
a  permanent  register  of  books  bound  is  not  apparent. 
It  is  much  easier  to  keep  in  other  ways  a  record  of 
books  actually  in  the  bindery  and  after  the  books 
have  been  bound  and  returned  to  the  library  the  value 
of  having  the  fact  recorded  in  any  other  place  than  on 
the  accession  book  is  negligible.  In  the  case  of 
popular  books  easily  replaced  we  may  even  question 
the  necessity  of  recording  in  the  accession  book  the 
fact  that  a  book  has  been  bound.  Any  other  per- 
manent record  seems  useless. 

i.  When  books  are  sent  to  the  bindery  the  binder 
must  be  told : 

a.  In  what  material  each  book  is  to  be  bound. 

b.  How  each  book  is  to  be  lettered. 

11 


150  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

The  best  way  to  indicate  lettering,  etc.,  has  been 
shown  in  the  chapter  "Preparing  for  the  bindery." 
The  designation  of  material  and  color  can  frequently 
be  done  by  giving  a  blanket  order  if  the  books  are  of 
the  same  character.  For  example,  if  all  the  books 
are  fiction  it  is  perfectly  feasible  to  send  a  written 
order,  stating  that  they  are  all  to  be  bound  in  half 
brown  cowhide  with  red  cloth  sides,  French  joints,  etc. 
If  the  shipment  is  a  miscellaneous  one  of  periodicals, 
reference  books,  fiction  and  juvenile  books  it  may 
be  necessary  to  state  on  the  binding  slips  how  each 
book  is  to  be  bound. 

2.  For  public  libraries  the  question  of  keeping  a 
record  of  books  that  are  in  the  bindery  is  a  simple 
one.  The  use^  of  book  cards  for  charging  purposes 
is  practically  universal.  All  that  is  necessary  is  to 
remove  the  book  card  from  the  book,  stamp  the  name 
or  first  initial  of  the  binder's  name  and  the  date  after 
the  last  charging  date  (Z25Api4),  and  file  the  cards 
just  as  they  are  filed  at  the  loan  desk.  If  a  book 
cannot  be  found  on  the  shelves  or  in  circulation,  it 
takes  but  a  few  seconds  to  discover  whether  or  not 
it  is  in  the  bindery.  When  the  book  is  returned  the 
card  is  replaced  in  the  book.  This  is  the  easiest  way 
of  keeping  this  record  and  shows  at  once  how  many 
times  a  book  circulated  in  the  publisher's  covers  be- 
fore it  needed  to  be  bound. 

For  books  which  have  no  book  cards,  such  as 
reference  books  and  periodicals,  it  will  be  necessary 
to  write  a  slip  which  can  be  filed  as  a  record  with 
the  book  cards.  If  a  binding  slip  must  be  sent  to  the 
bindery,  by  using  carbon  paper  both  slips  can  be  made 


RECORDS    AND    ROUTINE  151 

at  the  same  time.  The  binder  should  be  notified  if 
books  have  not  been  returned;  if  unable  to  find  them 
he  must  pay  for  them. 

It  is  possible  that  some  may  think  this  method  of 
keeping  records  unduly  lax ;  that  without  a  permanent 
record  in  book  form  many  errors  will  creep  in  and 
that  books  will  be  lost.  The  answer  to  such  a  criti- 
cism is  that  in  the  Wilmington  Institute  Free  Library 
it  has  worked  for  a  period  of  ten  years.  During  that 
time  more  than  25,000  volumes  have  been  bound  by 
five  different  binders,  and  the  writer  does  not  recall 
that  a  single  volume  has  gone  astray  or  that  there 
have  been  any  errors  which  would  have  been  avoided 
if  a  record  had  been  kept  which  required  a  careful 
invoicing  of  each  volume  sent  to  the  bindery.  When 
the  books  are  shipped  a  statement  is  sent  to  the 
binder  that  so  many  volumes  are  in  the  shipment  and 
it  is  his  business  to  keep  the  books  in  this  shipment 
together  and  return  all  at  the  same  time.  It  is  his 
responsibility,  not  that  of  the  librarian. 

3.  Records  showing  how  previous  volumes  of  a 
set  are  bound  should  be  kept  as  outlined  under  "Pre- 
paring for  the  bindery,"  page  140.  The  binding 
slip  for  the  last  volume  of  the  periodical  will  show 
how  it  is  bound.  As  an  alternative  to  the  carbon  slip 
for  periodicals  it  may  be  possible  to  keep  a  record  of 
volumes  in  the  bindery  on  the  periodical  checklist,  if 
that  be  kept  on  sheets.  A  similar  record  should  be 
kept  for  all  books  with  volume  numbers.  For  ex- 
ample, if  volume  10  of  Smith's  works  comes  to  the 
binding  assistant  a  binding  slip  should  be  made  out 
which  records  the  material  and  color  in  which  the 


152  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

book  is  to  be  bound,  together  with  exact  lettering 
used.  When  returned  from  the  bindery  this  slip 
should  be  filed  and  referred  to  when  another  volume 
of  the  same  work  needs  to  be  bound.  Unless  this  is 
done  it  will  be  necessary  to  go  to  the  shelves  to  see 
whether  other  volumes  have  been  bound.  If  only 
one  volume  has  been  bound  and  that  is  in  the  hands 
of  a  reader  it  will  be  necessary  to  wait  until  it  is 
returned,  all  of  which  means  loss  of  time.  No  book 
with  a  volume  number  should  be  sent  to  the  bindery 
without  consulting  the  "file  of  binding  slips.  If  there 
is  no  record  that  a  previous  volume  has  been  bound 
it  may  be  advisable  for  the  assistant  to  go  to  the 
shelves  to  see  if  there  are  other  volumes  of  the  same 
set  which  need  binding.  It  is  little  more  work  to  send 
five  volumes  than  to  send  one. 

4.  From   what  has  been  said  it  can   readily  be 
seen  what  sort  of  a  check  is  placed  upon  the  binder. 
Books  sent  to  him  are  charged  to  him  as  if  delivered 
to  a  borrower.     If  he  does  not  return  them  he  must 
pay  for  them.     Let  the  method  be  elaborate  or  simple, 
this    is    all    that    it    amounts    to.     It    behooves    the 
librarian,  therefore,  to  make  his  charging  as  simple  as 
is  compatible  with  safety. 

5.  Records  of  cost  may  be  kept  in  various  ways, 
but  the  essential  facts  which  it  is  best  to  record  are: 

o.  Number  of  volumes  rebound; 

b.  Number  newly  bound; 

c.  Number  resewed  or  recased; 

d.  Number  repaired  at  the  library ; 

e.  Total  cost. 

If  desired,  the  cost  of  each  of  the  foregoing  items 


RECORDS     AND     ROUTINE  153 

may  be  kept.  A  large  library  will  also  need  to  keep 
a  record  of  the  binding  for  each  branch,  and  possibly 
for  each  department  in  the  main  library. 

In  most  cases  it  is  not  necessary  for  the  binder 
to  send  a  bill  itemized  by  author  and  title. 

It  will  be  sufficient  if  he  bill  the  books  in  some 
such  way  as  this : 

52  vols.  Cowhide   8  in.    @  .45    $23.40 

16  vols.  Buckram    10  in.     @  .65      10.40 

6  vols.  Imperial  morocco  cloth 8  in.    @  .50        3.00 

2  vols.  Morocco  8  in.    @  .70        1.40 


$38.20 

Books  may  more  easily  be  checked  with  such  a  bill 
than  with  an  itemized  one.  The  information  may 
then  be  drawn  off  on  a  sheet,  allowing  a  column  for 
each  material  and  size,  monthly  and  yearly  statistics 
being  easily  compiled  from  these  sheets.  If  it  is  the 
policy  of  the  library  to  send  an  itemized  invoice  of 
books  to  be  bound  the  binder  should  return  the  invoice 
with  prices  for  each  volume  added. 

In  large  libraries,  such  as  the  large  college  and 
reference  libraries  and  public  libraries  with  many 
branches,  more  elaborate  binding  records  than  those 
just  outlined  are  necessary.  College  libraries,  which 
do  not  as  a  rule  have  book  cards,  will  find  it  necessary 
to  make  out  a  slip  of  one  kind  or  another  for  charging 
purposes.  In  large  library  systems  books  should  be 
sent  directly  from  the  branch  to  the  binder  and  re- 
turned to  the  branch.  A  record  should  be  sent  to  the 
head  of  the  binding  department  at  the  main  library, 
showing  the  number  of  volumes  sent  with  the  date, 
also  the  date  when  the  books  were  returned  to  the 


154  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

branch.  Each  branch  should,  of  course,  keep  records 
in  much  the  same  way  as  a  single  small  library,  but 
the  needs  of  statistics  require  further  records  at  the 
main  library. 

It  is  probable  that  each  large  library  will  have  to 
work  out  forms  suitable  for  its  own  needs,  but  the 
following  are  suggested  as  feasible. 


Volumes 
*/2  Mor. 
Lib.  Buck. 
Cloth 
y2  Duck 

%  Pig 
Light  Brown 
Dark  Brown 
Black 
Dark  Blue 
Dark  Green 
Red 

Binding  slip.    Size  6x4  in. 
Material   and  color  are   indicated  on  the  left  by 
underlining.     Author,  title,  volume  number,  etc.,  are 
written  in  proper  panels. 


RECORDS     AND     ROUTINE  155 


BLANKTON  PUBLIC  LIBRARY 
Branch  Date 

Following  books  are  ready  for  binding: 

vols.  to  be  bound  in  J4  morocco. 

vols.  to  be  bound  in  library  buckram. 

vols.  to  be  bound  in  J4  duck. 

vols.  as  samples. 

vols.  to  be  repaired. 

vols.  for  corrections. 

Branch  Librarian. 


Size  5x3  in. 

This  slip  is  filled  out  by  the  branch  librarian  and 
sent  to  supervisor  of  binding,  who  decides  who  shall 
bind  the  books  and  sends  the  order  to  the  binder. 


BLANKTON  PUBLIC  LIBRARY 

Order  No.  1002.  tgi 

Messrs 

Please  send  to  Branch 

for  the  following  books : 

vols.  to  be  rebound. 

vols.  samples. 

vols.  to  be  repaired. 

vols.  for  corrections. 

Bind  according  to  specifications,  following  in- 
structions for  style  on  binder's  slip  in  each  book. 

Please  return  books  with  bill  to  the  Branch. 

Supervisor. 
Size  5x3  in. 


156  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

When  books  are  returned  to  the  branch  they  are 
checked  up  with  the  bill.  If  there  are  no  discrepancies 
the  bill  is  sent  to  the  binding  supervisor. 


Order  No.  1002.  Sent 191 

from  .  .  Branch 


to 


vols.  to  be  rebound, 
vols.  samples, 
vols.  to  be  repaired, 
vols.  for  corrections. 


Returned  191          Amt.  $ 

Blankton  Public  Library. 


Size  5x3  in. 

This  slip,  made  out  at  the  central  library  upon 
advice  from  branch  librarian  that  books  have  been 
shipped,  is  filed  numerically.  When  bill  is  received, 
the  information  is  drawn  off  on  a  monthly  sheet.  A 
•similar  slip  can  be  used  to  keep  records  for  each 
branch  separately. 

The  weekly  or  monthly  statistics  sheets  ought  to 
give  in  vertical  columns  the  number  of  volumes  and 
cost  of  each  kind  of  binding  and  repair .  work  used 
by  the  library.  They  will  include  one-half  cowhide, 
one-half  morocco,  library  buckram,  one-half  duck, 
reinforcing,  recasing,  lettering,  etc.  The  first  column 
at  the  left  will  have  the  names  of  different  depart- 


RECORDS     AND     ROUTINE  157 

ments  and  branches.  The  last  column  on  the  right 
will  give  the  total  expenditure  for  each  department 
and  branch,  and  the  footings  of  columns  will  give  the 
cost  of  each  kind  of  work.  If  necessary  this  sheet 
can  also  indicate  number  of  volumes  rebound  and  the 
number  of  volumes  newly  bound. 

BINDING  ROUTINE 

In  preparing  books  for  the  bindery  and  keeping 
binding  records  a  regular  routine  should  be  adopted 
which  should  be  followed  as  closely  as  possible  in 
order  to  avoid  errors.  Each  library  should  adopt  a 
routine  suited  to  its  needs,  modifying  when  neces- 
sary the  following  suggestions. 

BINDING  ROUTINE  FOR  SMALL  LIBRARY 

i.  Examine  book,  noticing  condition,  complete- 
ness, title  pages,  indexes,  etc.,  and  decide  how  book 
is  to  be  bound. 

2.  Underline  on  title  page  the  first  letter  of 
words  which  must  be  lettered  on  back.  Pencil  call 
number  on  reverse  of  title  page. 

3.  If  volume  is  a  periodical  or  a  volume  in  a  set 
make   out   binding   slip   giving   volume   number   and 
dates. 

4.  File  book  cards  at  loan  desk. 

5.  Send  books  to  bindery. 

6.  When    books    are    returned    check    bill    with 
books    to    see    that    no    mistake    has    been    made    in 
charges. 


158  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

7.  Replace  book  cards  in  books. 

8.  File  slips  for  periodicals. 

BINDING  ROUTINE  FOR  MEDIUM-SIZED  LIBRARY 

1.  Examine    books    for    binding   noticing   condi- 
tion, completeness,  plates,  title  pages,  indexes,  num- 
ber   and    condition    of    copies,    editions    and    various 
other  points  noted  under  "Preparing  for  the  Bindery." 

2.  If  the  book  is  a  periodical  find  title  page  and 
index.     A  special  record  ought  to  show  when  these 
are  due  and  which  periodicals  do  not  publish  them. 
Arrange  exactly  as  the  book  is  to  be  bound. 

3.  If  the  book  is  a  periodical  consult  file  showing 
how  previous   volumes   have  been  bound  and  make 
out   a  binding  slip   with  carbon  copy,   making   such 
changes  as  are  required  by  changes  in  title,  date  and 
volume  number.     The  binding  slip  should  be  laid  in 
the  front  of  the  book. 

4.  If  the  book  is  one  of  a  set  see  if  other  vol- 
umes have  been  bound. 

5.  For  books,   not  periodicals,   indicate   lettering 
by  underlining  on  the  title  page  the  first  letter  of 
each  word  that  is  to  go  on  the  back. 

6.  Indicate  color,  material,  volume  number,  call 
number,  etc.,  on  a  binding  slip  which  should  be  laid 
in  front  of  the  book.     If  the  shipment  is  all  fiction 
and  no  call  number  is  used  it  will  not  be  necessary 
to  make  out  any  slip  of  instruction.     A  blanket  order 
may  be  made  saying  that  all  books  are  to  be  bound 
in  a  certain  way. 

7.  When  ready  to  send  to  the  bindery,  remove 


RECORDS     AND     ROUTINE  159 

book  card  or  carbon  copy  of  binding  slip.  Leave 
slips  containing  information  for  the  binder  in  the 
book. 

8.  Pack  books  and  send  to  the  binder,  notifying 
him  of  the  date  of  shipment  and  the  number  of  vol- 
umes sent  as  follows : 

96  vols.  to  be  rebound. 

25  vols.  of  periodicals. 

3  vols.  to  be  recased. 

4  vols.  of  corrections. 
2  vols.  of  samples. 

130 

(It  sometimes  happens  that  a  volume  of  a  set  is 
going  to  a  binder  who  did  not  bind  the  previous  vol- 
umes. In  such  a  case  the  second  binder  has  no 
"rubbing"  and  a  sample  volume  or  a  "rubbing"  must 
be  sent.) 

9.  Stamp  carbon  slips,  and  book  cards  after  the 
last  charging  date,  with  the  name  or  initial  of  the 
binder  and  the  date  sent. 

10.  File  book  cards  and  carbon  slips  alphabeti- 
cally by  author,  or  first  word  of  title  in  the  case  of 
periodicals. 

11.  When  books  are  returned  from  the  bindery 
see  that  bill  is  correct. 

12.  See  that  books  are  lettered  correctly,  return- 
ing such  as  are  incorrect. 

13.  Remove  book  cards  from  the  file  and  place 
in  the  books. 

14.  Letter  book  pockets  or  book  plates  with  call 


l6o  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

number  and  accession  number,  if  this  is  the  custom 
of  the  library. 

15.  Send  periodicals  and  other  books  which  have 
not  been  properly  recorded  to  the  order  or  accession 
department  to  follow  regular  routine  for  new  books. 
Books  that  have  been  rebound  may  go  directly  to  the 
shelves. 

1 6.  File  binding  slips  for  periodicals  and  destroy 
slips  for  previous  volumes. 

17.  If   it  is  the   custom  of  the   library  to  enter 
cost  of  binding  in  the  accession  book  it  will  be  neces- 
sary  to  put  the  accession   number  and   cost  on  the 
binding    slip.      These    slips    may    then    be    arranged 
numerically  by  accession  number  and  the  cost  entered 
in  the  accession  book. 

ROUTINE     FOR     LARGE     COLLEGE     AND     REFERENCE 
LIBRARIES 

The  routine  just  given  is  as  simple  as  can  be 
made  without  endangering  the  safety  of  books.  It  is 
not  sufficiently  accurate  for  the  large  libraries,  espe- 
cially the  college  libraries  which  bind  a  large  number 
of  periodicals  belonging  to  many  departments,  each 
department  being  obliged  to  pay  for  its  own  binding. 
This  requires  complex  records  in  the  binding  depart- 
ment. In  order  to  eliminate  as  many  mistakes  as 
possible  it  will  be  necessary  to  have  a  binding  card 
for  each  periodical  and  for  sets.  (See  Fig.  31) 

This  card  has  a  line  for  the  title,  a  place  for  the 
description  of  the  binding,  and  is  ruled  on  both  sides. 
On  the  right-hand  side  it  is  ruled  in  three  columns — 


RECORDS     AND     ROUTINE 


161 


Harper's     Magazine 


Color 


Style 


Volumes 

Pri  ce 

Sent 

Ret'd 

FIGURE  31.      Size  5x3  in. 

price,  sent,  returned.  The  lettering  may  be  indicated 
by  vertical  lines  in  the  title,  one  for  change  of  line  in 
the  same  panel,  two  for  change  of  panel. 

When  no  volume  of  a  set  is  at  the  bindery  the 
card  is  left  in  a  permanent  file  of  bindery  cards. 
When  a  volume  is  sent  to  the  bindery  the  card  is 
transferred  to  a  temporary  file,  showing  what  peri- 
odicals are  at  the  bindery. 

1.  Examine  volumes   for  completeness;  see  that 
all  numbers  of  periodicals  are  included  and  arranged 
in  proper  order.    In  the  case  of  books  examine  quickly 
for  missing  signatures.     With  both  books  and  peri- 
odicals leave  page  collation  to  the  binder. 

2.  Make  charging  slip  and  send  to  the  loan  desk. 
Books    for   departments    should    be    charged   in    tjhe 
departments  and  not  at  the  loan  desk. 

3.  If  a  periodical,  find  title-page  and  index   (if 
one  is  not  published  there  should  be  a  note  to  that 


162  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

effect  on  the  binding  card) ;  and  if  separate,  lay  inside 
the  volume. 

4.  If  volume  is  part  of  a  set  examine  binding 
records  to  see  if  other  volumes  have  been  bound.     If 
no  record  is  found  in  binding  files  look  in  catalog  and 
order  records  to  see  if  other  volumes  are  already  in 
the  library,  or  have  been  recently  bought  and  are  not 
yet  cataloged.     If  it  is  desirable  to  match  exactly  old 
sets  bound  elsewhere,  make  a  "rub-off"  for  the  binder 
and  indicate  the  material  and  color.     If  the  volume  is 
one  of  a  new  set  make  decision  in  regard  to  style  of 
binding  and  order  a  sample  back. 

5.  If  a  periodical,   get  old  card   from   "binding 
returned"   file.     In  the  case  of  new  periodicals   and 
books  a  card  must  be  made,  and  the  binder  instructed 
to  make  a  sample  back  for  future  use.     Enter  volume 
on  card   (one  volume  a  line,  unless  several  volumes 
are  to  be  bound  together) . 

6.  Fill  out  binding  slip  (see  page  154),  indicating 
full    lettering,    proper    spacing,    style    and    material. 
Also  make  note  on  bottom  of  slip  for  such  directions 
as   "make   sample  back,"   "include  all   front  covers," 
"no  title  page  or  index  published,"  etc. 

7.  In  the  case  of  separate  books  it  will  be  neces- 
sary  to  make  out   a   card   similar  to  the   periodical 
binding  card  to  be  used  in  sending  invoice  of  ship- 
ment to  the  binder. 

8.  Place  binding  slip  in  front  of  volume;  tie  up 
periodicals  and   lay  aside  with  the  volumes   waiting 
to  be  shipped. 

9.  When  shipment  is  ready  to  be  sent,  arrange 
cards : 


RECORDS     AND     ROUTINE  163 

a.  By  departments  which  are  responsible  for  the 
cost  of  binding; 

b.  Alphabetically  by  author  or  title  under  depart- 
ments. 

10.  Make  typewritten  list  in  triplicate  (or  more  if 
necessary)  of  volumes  for  each  department;  one  copy 
for  filing,  one  for  the  binder  and  one  to  go  to  the 
order  department  with  an  estimate  of  the  cost  to  serve 
as  a  charge  against  the  proper  department.     If  the 
departments  against  which  charges  must  be  made  are 
many  it  may  be  simpler  to  list  the  books  as  they  come, 
even  if  several  departments  are  on  one  page,  and  to 
draw  off  from  this  the  charges  for  the  order  depart- 
ment.    Where    departments    are    numerous    and    the 
record  of  each  department  is  kept  on  a  separate  sheet 
there  are  a  great  number  of  sheets  to  handle,  causing 
annoyance  both  in  the  binding  department  and  in  the 
bindery.     Two  lists  may  be  sent  to  the  binder  so  that 
he  may  add  prices  to  one  when  the  books  are  returned. 
This  saves  his  time  and  also  that  of  the  binding  assist- 
ant. 

11.  Stamp  date  on  the  binding  card  in  the  column 
marked  "sent." 

12.  Stamp  name  of  binder  on  binding  card  if  the 
work  is  divided  among  different  binders. 

If  all  the  work  of  the  library  goes  to  one  binder 
this  will  not  be  necessary. 

13.  Ship  the  books. 

14.  File  one  copy  of  the  list  made  out  as  noted 
in  No.  10,  send  one  copy  to  the  binder,  and  add  the 
estimated  cost  to  the  third  list  which  is  sent  to  the 
order  department. 


164  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

15.  File  cards  in  "binding  sent"  file. 

16.  When  books  are  returned  itemized  bills  art 
sent  by  the  binder  made  out  to  each  department. 

17.  Check  books  with  the  bills,  arranging  books 
in  order  of  bills. 

1 8.  Take  cards  out  of  "binding  sent"  file  in  order 
of  bills  so  that  bills,  books  and  cards  are  in  the  same 
order. 

19.  Compare  lettering  with  slip  to  see  if  correct, 
lay  aside  such  as  are  incorrect  to  be  returned  to  the 
binder.     Destroy  slips. 

20.  See  if  charge  is  correct  and  enter  on  binding 
card  in  column  marked  "price."     If  there  is  a  sample 
back,   enter  the  cost  and  letters  "S.   B."  above  the 
line  of  the  volume  for  which  it  is  made. 

21.  Stamp  date  of  bill  on  card  in  column  marked 
"returned." 

22.  Stamp  date  of  bill  and  cost  in  book  on  first 
recto  after  title  page:  "27  June  1914  Binding  75." 

23.  Send  books  to  the  cataloging  department  for 
cataloging,  shelf-listing,  etc. 

24.  Draw  off  on  statistics  sheet  number  of  vol- 
umes and  cost. 

25.  Send  bills  to  the  order  department. 

26.  File  cards  for  periodicals  and  all  books  with 
volume  numbers  in  permanent  file.     Destroy  cards  for 
single  books. 


CHAPTER  X 
REPAIRING,  RECASING,  RECOVERING,  ETC. 

Practically  all  repairs  to  a  book  short  of  rebinding 
should  be  made  in  the  library,  since  the  work  requires 
little  space  and  no  machinery,  and  the  books  may 
speedily  be  replaced  on  the  shelves  for  general  use. 
Large  or  medium  sized  libraries  can  well  afford  to 
hire  one  or  more  girls  as  menders,  while  the  small 
library  must  utilize  the  spare  time  of  regular  assist- 
ants. 

When  books  are  sent  to  the  binding  department 
they  shouM  be  sorted  into  the  following  groups : 

Books  to  be  (a)  rebound,  (&)  recased,  (c)  recov- 
ered, (d)  mended,  (e)  discarded;  to  have  (f)  new 
sides,  (,§•)  new  labels,  (Jt)  new  book  cards  or  pockets. 

When  menders  are  employed  all  except  those  in 
the  first  group  may  be  cared  for  in  the  library. 

In  sorting  the  books  the  question  of  whether  to 
rebind  or  repair  at  the  library  must  be  decided  for 
all  books,  except  those  in  the  discarded  class  and  those 
which  need  new  records  (tags,  pockets,  book  cards, 
etc.).  The  decision  is  not  always  an  easy  one  to 
make.  The  kind  of  library  in  question,  whether 
public,  college,  subscription,  etc.,  will  influence  the 
decision,  as  well  as  the  actual  condition  of  the  book. 


12 


l66  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

A    few   general    rules    about    mending   may    help    in 
making  decisions. 

1.  If  the  book  has  never  been  rebound  and  in  all 
probability  must  go  to  the  bindery  in  a  few  months' 
time,  send  to  the  bindery  at  once.     Mending  not  only 
adds  nothing  to  the  life  of  this  book,  but  may  easily 
shorten  it. 

2.  Mend  books   which  have  been   rebound   once 
but  which  it  would  not  pay  to  rebind  again.    Judicious 
mending  of  such  books  may  keep  them  in  service  for 
a  long  time,  but  there   comes  a  day   when  the  use 
gained  does  not  pay  for  the  time  put  upon  them. 

3.  Mend  books  which  have  nearly  outlived  their 
usefulness  or  which  are  to  be  withdrawn  absolutely 
when  worn  out.     The  question  need  be  decided  only 
when  the  book  is  fairly  clean,  for  if  very  soiled  it 
should  be  withdrawn  at  once. 

4.  Mend   books    which   must   be    on  the   library 
shelves,  but  which  are  seldom  used. 

5.  Mend  books  printed  on  heavily  loaded  papers 
which  will  not  pay  to   rebind.     There   are,   unfortu- 
nately, many  of  them. 

6.  Mending  cannot  be  done  if  the  sewing  is  com- 
pletely  broken,   though   it   is    sometimes    possible   to 
insert  signatures  which  are  loose. 

7.  Books  with  broken  corners  must  be  rebound. 

8.  Recase  books  which  have  sewing  intact  and 
covers  in  good  condition,  if  they  will  be  used  com- 
paratively seldom. 

9.  Recbver  books  which   have  worn  covers  but 
firm  sewing. 


REPAIRING,     RECASING,     RECOVERING,     ETC.          167 

MENDING  MATERIALS 

ADHESIVES 

Paste.  Home-made  pastes  are  cheapest.  While 
there  are  various  recipes  for  paste,  either  of  the 
following  will  give  satisfaction: 

(i) 

Wheat  flour,  8  oz. 

Powdered  alum,  %  oz. 

Glycerine,  il/2  oz. 

Oil  wintergreen,  I  dram. 

Water,  \y2  pts. 

Dissolve  the  alum  in  water  and  mix  gradually 
with  the  flour  into  a  smooth,  thin  paste;  cook  in  a 
double  boiler  until  smooth  and  clear;  take  from  the 
fire  and  add  the  glycerine  and  oil  of  wintergreen. 
This  quantity  will  make  about  one  quart.  If  after 
standing  a  day  a  watery  fluid  collects,  stir  it  into 
the  paste.  Keep  this  paste  covered. 

(2) 

l/4  pound  of  flour   (i   cup), 
i  teaspoonful  of  alum,  dissolved. 
i  generous    fourth   teaspoonful   of   oil  of 

clove. 

4  cups   of   boiling  water. 

Mix  the  flour  well  with  a  little  cold  water,  beating 
until  perfectly  smooth.  Add  the  alum  dissolved  in 
a  little  cold  water.  Pour  on  two  cups  of  the  boiling 
Water,  strain  through  a  wire  'sieve.  Add  the  re- 
mainder of  the  boiling  water  and  cook,  stirring 


168  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

constantly  until  partially  clear.  Add  the  oil  of  clove 
and  put  into  a  clean,  covered  earthen  jar.  The  paste 
thickens  as  it  cools.  Take  out  small  quantities  for 
use.  The  materials  for  this  paste  cost  less  than  2 
cents  for  a  hundred  books. 

To  all  pastes  it  is  best  to  add  a  spoonful  of  carbolic 
acid  or  formaldehyde  to  prevent  spoiling.  A  small 
quantity  of  corrosive  sublimate  will  make  paste 
unattractive  to  bugs. 

Although  home-made  pastes  are  cheapest,  they 
are  a  bother  to  make  and  the  saving  of  expense  over 
commercial  pastes  is  not  worth  while  except  in  the 
very  small  library.  Besides  paste  in  bulk  which  can 
be  obtained  from  the  local  binder  there  are  many 
kinds  of  commercial  paste.  Some  may  be  bought 
in  powders ;  others,  designed  primarily  for  mount- 
ing photographs,  in  glass  jars;  still  others  in  cans 
ready  to  use.  The  powders  are  cheap,  keep  inde- 
finitely, but  when  needed  must  be  mixed  with  water, 
and  as  a  rule  are  not  very  satisfactory.  Higgins' 
and  other  photo-mounting  pastes  are  expensive  and 
dry  too  quickly,  but  keep  indefinitely.  In  the  long 
run  the  most  satisfactory  pastes  are  those  in  tin  cans 
with  tight  lids;  these  are  ready  to  use,  do  not  dry 
up  and  the  preservative  which  they  contain  keeps 
them  indefinitely.  The  Arabol  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany, loo  William  Street,  New  York,  makes  several 
varieties.  Their  "Sphinx"  paste,  which  gives  ex- 
cellent satisfaction,  can  be  bought  in  six  one-gallon 
can  lots  at  75  cents  a  gallon,  f.  o.  b.,  £nd  in  larger 
quantities  at  slightly  reduced  rates.  Great  care  should 


REPAIRING,  RECASING,  RECOVERING,  ETC.    169 

be  used  to  avoid  having  the  paste  so  thin  that  it 
makes  the  paper  stretch. 

Although  paste  is  a  necessity  in  every  library, 
there  is  a  tendency  to  use  too  much  of  it,  and  to 
use  it  when  it  is  not  necessary.  Ordinarily  it  will 
injure  the  book  less  than  other  adhesives,  but  it 
should  be  used  sparingly  on  books  that  must  be 
rebound.  When  applied  to  the  backs  of  loose  signa- 
tures they  become  brittle;  then  when  the  book  goes 
to  the  bindery  a  much  larger  amount  must  be  cut 
from  the  back  than  would  otherwise  be  the  case. 

If  paste  is  to  be  applied  to  part  of  the  paper 
only,  the  easiest  way  is  to  lay  the  paper  on  a  board, 
place  another  piece  of  paper  over  it,  leaving  exposed 
the  surface  to  which  paste  is  to  be  applied.  It  can 
be  spread  more  evenly  with  the  finger,  faster  with  a 
soft,  long-handled  brush.  The  larger  libraries  will 
find  a  pasting-machine  a  great  time-saver.  Book 
labels,  book  pockets,  new  end  papers  to  freshen  soiled 
books — anything  which  needs  to  have  the  entire  sur- 
face covered — is  pasted  on  the  machine  in  one-tenth 
the  time  required  by  hand. 

Glue.  For  ordinary  mending,  glue  should  never 
be  used.  (See  Materials,  p.  82.)  Flexible  glue,  how- 
ever, is  a  necessity  for  recasing  and  recovering  books. 
It  keeps  indefinitely,  can  be  used  easily  by  those 
who  acquire  the  knack  of  using  it,  and  it  sticks  ever- 
lastingly. 

Mucilage.  Mucilage  has  no  real  place  in  a 
library.  If  paste  is  not  the  suitable  material  to  use, 
substitute  flexible  glue,  never  mucilage. 


170  LIBRARY   BOOKBINDING 

CLOTH 

Cheesecloth.  This  well-known  cloth  is  used  when 
pressing  down  paper  or  book  labels  after  they  have 
been  pasted  and  applied,  and  for  quickly  cleaning 
the  hands  of  superfluous  paste  or  glue.  It  should 
be  cut  in  pieces  of  convenient  size  and  not  used  many 
times  before  being  discarded. 

Jaconet.  A  thin,  strong  muslin  will  be  needed  for 
guarding  sections  and  occasionally  for  forming  joints. 
Jaconet  is  the  best  and  may  be  obtained  from  a  few 
library  binders. 

Canton  flannel.  A  medium  grade  of  this  cloth  is 
used  for  back-lining. 

Book  cloth.  If  recovering  or  re-siding  is  done 
the  library  must  have  a  supply  of  book  cloths  in  the 
shades  preferred.  For  re-siding,  any  cloth  in  grade  i 
(see  page  75)  is  sufficiently  good.  For  recovering 
cloths  in  the  grade  which  meets  the  requirements  of 
the  Bureau  of  Standards  are  none  too  good.  If  much 
recovering  is  done  it  is  best  to  buy  the  cloth  by  the 
piece. 

Crepeline.  This  very  thin  cotton  cloth,  also  called 
mousseline,  through  which  print  is  easily  read,  is 
sometimes  pasted  over  the  entire  surface  of  pages 
which  receive  very  hard  usage,  and  which  would 
otherwise  be  literally  thumbed  to  pieces  long  before 
the  rest  of  the  book. 

Specially  prepared  cloth.  The  Gaylord  Bros.,  of 
Syracuse,  and  the  Multum  in  Parvo  Binder  Co.,  of 
Philadelphia,  manufacture  hinges  made  of  cloth. 
While  these  are  often  useful  they  cannot  be  used  under 


REPAIRING,     RECASING,     RECOVERING,     ETC.         171 

any  and  all  conditions,  as  one  might  be  led  to  believe 
from  the  claims  of  the  manufacturers. 

PAPERS 

Onion  skin.  Onion  skin  is  a  very  thin,  tough 
paper,  used  for  mending  torn  pages,  illustrations,  etc., 
where  print  must  show  through.  While  it  may  be 
obtained  gummed  on  one  side,  very  little  is  gained, 
for  it  is  nearly  as  easy  to  paste  the  ungummed  onion 
skin  as  to  moisten  the  gummed.  For  tears  which  do 
not  run  into  the  text  a  thin,  strong  bond  paper  will 
be  satisfactory. 

Kraft  or  manila  paper.  A  30x40  6o-pound  kraft 
paper  makes  good  end  papers  in  recasing  and  recov- 
ering. A  7o-pound  manila  paper  may  be  used  instead 
of  kraft,  if  desired. 

Red  rope  manila.  This  is  a  very  strong,  tough 
fibred  cardboard  which  may  sometimes  be  used  as 
covers  for  books  that  it  will  scarcely  pay  to  put 
into  stouter  covers.  It  may  be  obtained  in  several 
weights,  the  lighter  weights  being  sufficiently  strong 
for  library  use. 

THREAD 

Even  if  no  resewing  is  done,  thread  is  necessary 
for  making  various  repairs.  The  best  are  Hayes' 
linen  thread  No.  25,  and  Barbour's  No.  40. 

AMMONIA 

This  is  necessary  for  breaking  down  surfaces  of 
highly  glazed  cloths  so  that  labels  will  stick. 


172  LIBRARY   BOOKBINDING 

SHELLAC 

After  labels  or  the  backs  of  books  have  been  let- 
tered in  white  or  black  ink  they  should  have  a  covering 
of  shellac.  A  supply  of  the  best  white  shellac  may 
be  obtained  from  the  local  paint  dealer. 

Occasional  use  is  found  for  various  other  materials, 
such  as  powdered  pumice  stone,  sponge  rubber,  India 
rubber  erasers  and  art  gum. 

TOOLS 

FOLDERS 

Several  binder's  bone  folders,  costing  fifteen  cents 
each,  should  be  kept  in  the  binding  department. 

KNIVES 

A  long  knife,  broad  at  the  point,  thin-bladed  but 
dull,  is  needed  for  cutting  paper  after  it  is  folded  and 
for  various  other  uses.  A  sharp,  pointed  knife  is 
needed  for  removing  books  from  the  covers,  or  old 
labels  from  the  back. 

SCISSORS 

Long,  thin-bladed,  best  quality. 

NEEDLES 

Regular  book-sewing  needles. 

HAMMER 

A  broad-faced  hammer  may  be  required  for  beat- 
ing down  the  backs  of  sections,  or  the  entire  book 
when  it  is  difficult  to  replace  it  in  its  old  cover. 


REPAIRING,   RECASING,   RECOVERING,   ETC.      173 

PRESS 

Books  wet  with  paste  or  glue  must  be  pressed.  An 
old-fashioned  letter-press  which  screws  down  by  hand 
will  answer  all  purposes  in  a  small  library.  As  they 
are  now  out-of-date,  second-hand  ones  can  be  pur- 
chased for  a  small  sum.  There  are  one  or  two  inex- 
pensive small  presses  which  are  not  so  heavy  as  the 
letter-press,  but  which  hold  a  larger  number  of  books 
and  are  fairly  satisfactory.  The  most  satisfactory  press 
is  a  stationary  one  which  holds  a  number  of  books 
and  which  will  exert  great  pressure.  On  account  of 
lack  of  space  and  the  cost  it  is  inadvisable  to  use  this 
in  a  mending  room,  and  makeshifts  are  generally 
necessary. 

PRESS-BOARD 

A  few  press-boards  with  projections  which  will  fit 
into  the  joints  of  books  may  be  necessary.  They  may 
be  obtained  from  any  dealer  in  binders'  supplies. 

SEWING  BENCH 

If  any  resewing  is  done  a  sewing  bench  is  a  neces- 
sity. Ordinarily  books  needing  resewing  should  be 
sent  to  the  bindery. 

GLUE-POT 

A  double-boiler  glue-pot  is  a  necessity  if  recov- 
ering or  recasing  is  to  be  done.  It  should  be  kept 
clean. 

BRUSHES 

A    long-handled,     small-sized     brush     with     soft 


1/4  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

bristles  will  be  used  for  pasting,  while  glue  will  re- 
quire a  large,  round  brush  such  as  is  commonly  used 
in  binderies. 

PASTING  MACHINE 

A  good  pasting  machine  will  cost  about  ten  dollars, 
but  it  is  a  great  time  saver.  There  are  several  on 
the  market.  In  the  Wilmington  Library  the  "Uni- 
versal" is  used  and  gives  satisfaction  in  all  cases  when 
a  machine  can  be  used. 

CUTTING-BOARD 

A  small-sized  cutting-board,  such  as  is  used  by 
photographers,  is  useful  in  the  mending  room  as  well 
as  in  other  parts  of  the  library. 

CLEANING 

A  part  of  the  duty  of  the  mending  department  is 
to    remove   such    dirt    or    stains    as    can    readily   be 
removed  without  injury  to  the  books. 
PAGES 

Various  materials  may  be  used  for  cleaning  books 
which  show  soiled  pages  here  and  there,  but  which 
are  in  the  main  fairly  clean.  A  red  rubber  or  a  sponge 
rubber  is  much  better  than  an  India  rubber  eraser. 
The  latter  should  never  be  used  unless  the  paper  is 
excellent  in  quality.  Bread  crumbs  rolled  in  a  ball  or 
powdered  pumice  stone  put  on  with  a  dry  cloth  will 
often  give  good  results.  If  the  book  is  much  soiled, 
or  has  mud  stains,  it  may  be  advisable  to  use  ivory 
soap  and  water  with  a  few  drops  of  ammonia,  applied 
with  a  piece  of  cheesecloth  well  wrung  out. 


REPAIRING,  RECASING,  RECOVERING,  ETC.    175 

If  the  paper  is  of  good  quality  it  may  be  washed 
with  Javelle  water,  a  preparation  used  in  French 
laundries.  This  may  be  made  by  the  following  recipe : 

To  one  pound  of  chloride  of  lime  add  four  and  a 
half  pints  of  water,  and  put  in  a  jar  with  tight  cover. 
In  a  separate  vessel,  dissolve  20  oz.  of  ordinary  wash- 
ing soda  in  four  and  a  half  pints  of  boiling  water, 
and  immediately  pour  it  into  the  first  mixture.  When 
cold  add  enough  water  to  make  eleven  pints  in  all. 
Strain  through  muslin,  settle,  and  pour  off  the  clear 
solution.  After  using  it  care  must  be  taken,  to  rinse 
the  paper  thoroughly  with  water,  as  it  tends  to  rot 
paper. 

In  the  cleaning  of  pages  care  should  be  taken  not 
to  erase  any  marks  made  by  the  cataloging  or 
accession  departments.  Rubbing  must  be  done  slowly 
and  the  pages  held  flat  to  prevent  tearing.  Rub  from 
the  inside  outward.  All  traces  of  pumice  stone,  rub- 
ber, etc.,  should  be  carefully  removed.  If  water  and 
soap  have  been  used,  it  may  be  necessary  to  put  a 
pressing  tin  under  the  leaf,  placing  blotting  paper  on 
each  side. 

Fox  marks  may  be  removed  by  immersing  the 
leaves  in  a  weak  solution  of  chlorine  water  and  then 
transferring  to  a  hot  bath  of  very  weak  hydrochloric 
acid. 

To  remove  creases  from  leaves  accidentally  folded, 
place  the  leaves  between  moistened  blotters  enclosed 
between  dry  blotters  and  press.  This  can  be  repeated 
until  the  crease  is  entirely  removed.  Sometimes 
creases  may  be  ironed  out  with  a  hot  iron. 


176  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

Ink  stains  can  be  removed  by  any  one  of  the 
standard  eradicate rs  (oxalic  acid  followed  by  chloride 
of  lime).  Stains  from  pad  ink  used  for  dating  stamps 
can  be  removed  with  benzine. 

The  edges  of  leaves  on  very  soiled  books  may  be 
sandpapered.  In  this  case  the  book  should  be  held 
very  firm,  if  possible  in  a  vise. 

To  PREVENT  MILDEW  OR  MOLD 

Occasionally  books  are  accidentally  soaked  with 
water.  In  many  a  fire  more  damage  is  done  by  water 
than  by  fire.  In  such  cases  it  may  be  a  waste  of 
time  and  money  to  reclaim  ordinary  books  which  can 
easily  be  replaced.  It  is  a  different  matter  when  it 
comes  to  rare  books  and  especially  to  manuscripts 
which  cannot  be  replaced.  Mr.  J.  I.  Wyer,  Jr.,  direc- 
tor of  the  New  York  State  Library,  in  his  annual 
report  for  1911  describes  as  follows  the  method  used 
in  that  library  after  the  disastrous  fire  of  that  year. 

The  first  step  was  to  remove  all  covers.  Each  volume  was 
then  taken  apart  leaf  by  leaf,  and  each  sheet  was  laid  between 
print  paper  for  drying.  After  twenty-four  hours  every  leaf 
was  again  handled  and  placed  between  heavy  blotting  paper ; 
after  twenty-four  hours  here,  each  leaf  was  again  removed 
to  a  second  blotting  paper.  At  all  of  these  stages  pressure 
was  applied  to  facilitate  the  drying  and  keep  the  documents 
from  wrinkling.  .  .  .  When  each  leaf  had  thus  passed  through 
these  three  drying  processes,  those  belonging  to  the  same 
volume  were  collected  and  carefully  tied  up  in  boxes  or  sepa- 
rate packages  to  wait  until  all  the  manuscripts  were  thus 
treated.  .  .  .  When  all  were  dried,  the  manuscripts  were  ar-^ 
ranged  in  volumes.  .  .  .  The  rarest  pieces  will  in  time  be 


REPAIRING,     RECASING,     RECOVERING,     ETC.         177 

mended,  nearly  all  will  be  covered  with  crepeline,  all  will  be 
mounted  on  fresh  paper  and  carefully  bound  into  new 
volumes. 

COVERS 

Covers  may  be  cleaned  by  the  same  materials  as 
those  used  on  pages,  but  the  best  method  is  to  wash 
them  with  soap  and  water.  For  this  reason  the  use  of 
a  washable  cloth  for  covers,  such  as  keratol,  durabline, 
or  fabrikoid,  is  an  advantage.  Miss  Margaret  Brown, 
in  her  pamphlet  on  mending,  Library  handbook  No. 
6,  advises  the  use  of  a  wash  as  follows :  "Two  parts 
good  vinegar  and  one  part  water.  Apply  with  a 
clean  cloth  and  rub  hard  until  dirt  is  removed,  then 
place  upright  to  dry.  This  should  not  be  used  on 
leather." 

_Grease  spots  may  be  removed  from  both  leather 
and  cloth  by  covering  with  a  blotter  and  ironing  with 
a  hot  iron.  The  same  method  will  partially  remove 
paint  or  varnish. 

For  a  great  variety  of  cleansing  receipts  see 
Coutts  and  Stephen's  "Manual  of  library  bookbind- 
ing," Chapter  X. 

Covers  that  have  warped  must  be  dampened  and 
put  under  pressure. 

Shellacing  of  covers  has  been  advocated  by  some 
librarians,  but  it  is  doubtful  if  it  pays.  It  may  be 
used  in  the  interests  of  cleanliness  on  books  bound  in 
light  colored  cloth  and  on  books  in  towns  where  the 
atmosphere  is  very  smoky.  It  is  a  process  which 
takes  some  time  since  two  coats  of  shellac  must  be 
applied,  and  it  does  not  increase  the  wear  of  the  cloth 


178  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

to  any  great  extent.  As  a  regular  part  of  preparing 
the  book  for  use  it  takes  more  time  and  material  than 
it  is  worth. 

Sometimes  a  book  becomes  wonderfully  rejuven- 
ated simply  by  having  its  cover  and  edges  cleaned  and 
a  new  pocket  pasted  in  the  back. 

MENDING 

It  is  very  desirable  that  mending  should  not  be 
done  by  inexperienced  assistants,  for  an  uninstructed 
beginner  may  do  as  much  harm  as  good. 

TORN  PAGES   . 

Torn  pages  may  be  mended  in  any  one  of  the 
following  ways : 

1.  If  the  tear  does  not  affect  the  printing,  cut  a 
strip  of  thin,  tough  bond  paper  one-half  inch  wide,  a 
little  longer  than  the  tear  to  be  covered,  put  through 
pasting-machine   and    cover    the    tear,    trimming   the 
overhang  even  with  the  page. 

2.  If  the  page  is  torn  into  the  text,  and  the  book 
is  not  valuable  commercially,  use  ungummed   onion 
skin  about  one-half  inch  wide  and  apply  as  above.     If 
onion  skin  is  not  available  a  very  thin,  tough  bond 
paper  will  do  very  well.     Use  a  thin  coating  of  paste, 
first  putting  a  piece  of  white  paper  under  the  page 
to  absorb  extra  paste. 

3.  If  torn  in  the  text  and  it  is  desirable  to  make 
as  good  a  job  as  possible,  use  the  following  method : 

Rub  a  very  little  paste  on  the  torn  edges,  and  place 
them  together.  Then  take  a  rather  large  piece  of 
ordinary  tissue  paper  and  rub  it  gently  along  the  tear 


REPAIRING,     RECASING,     RECOVERING,     ETC.          179 

so  that  the  tissue  paper  will  adhere  to  the  torn  edges. 
Put  under  the  press ;  when  dry  the  superfluous  tissue 
paper  should  be  torn  off,  taking  care  to  pull  always 
toward  the  tear  and  from  both  sides  at  the  same 
time.  The  delicate  fibre  of  the  tissue  paper  acts  as 
an  adhesive  in  such  a  way  that  it  is  almost  impossible 
to  discern  how  the  mending  was  done. 

4.  If  the  margin  of  the  leaf  of  a  valuable  book  is 
torn  in  several  places,  take  two  sheets  of  paper  the 
size  of  the  leaf,  cut  out  from  the  middle  of  each  a 
piece  a  little  larger  than  the  letter-press  of  the  book ; 
trim  the  torn  leaf  so  that  it  remains  somewhat  larger 
than  the  space  cut  out  of  the  blank  leaves ;  place  it 
between  these  two  leaves  and  paste  down,  thus  form- 
ing new  margins. 

Books  that  have  torn  leaves  mended  may  be  put 
into  the  press,  but  it  is  not  strictly  necessary.  When 
very  much  of  this  mending  is  done  pressing  is  impos- 
sible unless  a  standing  press  is  at  hand. 

A  few  books  such  as  Granger's  Index  and  some 
of  the  Poole's  Index  volumes  should  have  the  first 
few  pages  entirely  reinforced  with  cloth.  The  best 
cloth  for  this  purpose  is  crepeline,  through  which  the 
text  can  be  easily  read.  When  applying  it  put  a  thin 
layer  of  paste  on  the  leaf  and  then  put  on  the  cloth. 
The  book  should  then  be  pressed,  first  protecting 
adjoining  pages  with  paper. 

LOOSE  LEAVES 

Loose  leaves  may  be  inserted  in  several  ways: 
i.    Lay   a   piece    of  white   paper   over  the   leaf, 

allowing  one-eighth  of  an  inch  of  back  margin  of 


l8o  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

the  leaf  to  project.  Paste  this  exposed  surface  and 
attach  it  to  the  adjoining  leaf  in  the  book,  pressing 
down  firmly.  This  can  be  done  only  when  adjoining 
leaves  are  firm. 

2.  Sometimes  the  leaf  when  inserted  will  extend 
beyond    the    fore   edge    of   the    book.     Trimming   of 
either  back  margin  or  fore  edge  is  inadvisable.     It  is 
possible  to  turn  over  about  one-eighth  of  an  inch  of 
back  margin,  using  some  kind  of  straight  edge   for 
this  purpose.     Apply  paste  to  turned  over  part  and 
press  the  fold  well  down  into  the  book.     This  will 
give  more  freedom  to  the  leaf  than  if  one-eighth  of 
an  inch  has  been  cut  off  and  another  eighth  of  an  inch 
pasted. 

3.  Fold  strips  of  thin  bond  paper  cut  with  the 
grain,  three-fourths  of  an  inch  in  width,  through  the 
center.     Paste  the  outside.     Attach  the  loose  leaf  to 
one  side  and  attach  the  other  side  to  the  adjoining 
leaf  in  the  book.     It  will  be  necessary  to  work  quickly 
because    the    paper    strips    when    wet    will    cause    a 
wrinkling  of  the  leaf.     This  method  can  be  used  only 
if  adjoining  leaf  is  firm,  but  can  never  be  employed 
with  over-casting. 

4.  If  necessary  to  use  as  little  paste  as  possible, 
apply   paste   to   a   piece   of   common   soft    string   by 
drawing  it  over  a  board  covered  with  paste.     Then 
draw  the  string  through  the  book  at  the  back.     Tho 
leaf  may  then  be  inserted. 

LOOSE  SIGNATURES 

Ordinarily    when    one    signature    become: 
others   speedily   follow,   and  the  book   must 


REPAIRING,     RECASING,     RECOVERING,     ETC.         l8l 

to  the  bindery  unless  it  is  withdrawn  absolutely. 
Sometimes,  however,  one  section  will  become  loose 
when  the  rest  of  the  book  is  firm  and  solid,  some- 
times also  the  use  a  book  will  receive  does  not 
warrant  binding.  In  such  cases,  if  the  book  has 
a  loose  back,  open  the  section  in  the  middle  and  place 
it  in  its  proper  place  in  the  book.  Thread  a  darning- 
needle  with  Hayes'  No.  25  thread  (or  Barbour  No. 
40),  pass  the  needle  through  the  hole  at  top  of  the 
section  (the  kettlestitch  hole)  in  such  a  way  as  to 
bring  it  out  at  the  top  of  the  book  between  the  book 
and  the  loose  back.  Draw  thread  through,  allowing  a 
few  inches  to  remain  inside  the  section.  Drop  needle 
through  the  loose  back,  insert  it  from  the  back 
through  the  kettlestitch  hole  at  tail  of  the  book.  The 
thread  can  then  be  tied  to  the  thread  projecting  at 
the  upper  kettlestitch  hole.  This  is  a  makeshift,  but 
may  answer  if  the  book  is  not  to  receive  hard  usage. 
If  the  back  of  the  signature  is  badly  worn,  mend  it 
by  guarding  with  jaconet  on  the  outside,  or  by  pasting 
a  strip  of  bond  paper  down  through  the  center  of  the 
fold. 

Tight  Backs 

For  tight  backs  cut  a  guard  of  firm,  thin  cloth,  such 
as  cambric  or  jaconet,  about  three-fourths  of  an  inch 
wide  and  as  long  as  the  book.  Sew  the  section  to 
the  middle  of  the  guard,  and  paste  the  guard  to  the 
book,  one-half  to  each  of  the  adjoining  leaves.  Press 
this  guard  well  back  into  the  book.  This  can  be 
done  only  when  the  adjoining  pages  are  securely  held. 

13 


182  LIBRARY    BOOKBINDING 

LOOSE  JOINTS 

It  frequently  happens  that  a  book  in  the  original 
publisher's  cover  becomes  loose  at  the  joint,  because 
the  super  used  as  back-lining  cannot  stand  the  strain 
put  upon  it.  Ordinarily,  a  book  defective  in  this 
manner  should  be  bound  at  once;  but  if  it  is  deemed 
best  to  attempt  mending  it,  a  strip  of  jaconet  should 
be  cut  il/4  inches  wide  and  the  length  of  the  book. 
Paste  one-half  of  this  to  the  cover  and  the  other  to 
the  adjoining  fly-leaf,  thus  transferring  the  strain 
from  the  super  to  the  fly-leaf.  This  method  can  also 
be  used  to  mend  a  break  in  the  middle  of  a  book,  but 
should  never  be  used  if  the  book  must  eventually  be 
rebound. 

Another  method  of  mending  a  loose  joint  is  to 
remove  the  book  entirely  from  the  cover,  sew  on  new 
end  papers  guarded  with  muslin,  and  cover  the  back 
of  the  book  with  canton  flannel  which  extends  three- 
fourths  of  an  inch  on  each  side.  When  dry,  paste 
the  entire  back  of  book  and  sides  and  put  the  book 
back  into  the  cover,  pasting  down  the  new  end  paper. 
This  is,  in  effect,  recasing.  (See  page  184.) 

Sometimes  books  which  are  loose  at  the  joints  and 
have  loose  signatures  may  be  mended  by  applying 
paste  with  a  long-handled  paste  brush  to  the  backs  of 
the  signatures.  This  must  never  be  done  if  it  is 
possible  that  the  book  will  need  to  be  rebound  later. 

FLY-LEAVES 

To  add  new  fly-leaves,  cut  paper  suitable  for  this 
purpose  the  same  length  as  the  old  fly-leaves  and 


REPAIRING,     RECASING,     RECOVERING,     ETC.         183 

one-half  inch  wider.  Fold  over  this  one-half  inch, 
paste  it  on  the  outside  and  attach  it  to  the  old  fly- 
leaf. If  necessary,  this  may  be  used  as  a  new  end 
paper  and  pasted  to  the  cover  over  the  old  end 
paper.  If  used  as  an  end  paper,  the  book  should  be 
pressed  promptly  to  prevent  it  from  warping. 

REPAIR  OF  MAPS 

All  old  or  mutilated  maps  or  charts  must  be  flat- 
tened out  by  placing  the  maps  between  large  mill- 
boards with  heavy  weights  over  them,  before  they 
can  be  inserted  in  books.  Repairs  may  be  made  with 
onion  skin  paper  or  any  other  thin,  tough  paper,  the 
same  as  is  done  with  torn  leaves  in  books.  If  the 
map  is  very  old  and  valuable,  it  may  be  advisable  to 
use  paper  which  resembles  in  a  way  the  texture  and 
color  of  the  map  itself. 

It  is  advisable  to  mount  all  maps  on  some  kind 
of  cloth.  It  is  best  to  have  this  done  by  a  regular 
binder,  but  it  may  be  done  in  the  library  if  there  is 
sufficient  room. 

If  the  map  is  to  go  on  rollers,  a  piece  of  cotton 
cloth  is  tacked  to  a  large  table,  the  top  of  the  cloth 
pasted,  and  the  map  placed  on  top,  back  down,  all 
wrinkles  having  been  removed.  Millboards  or  straw- 
boards  are  then  placed  on  the  map  and  weights  placed 
on  top  until  it  is  dry.  This  may  take  some  time,  after 
which  it  may  be  tacked  to  the  rollers. 

If  it  is  a  folding  map  or  chart,  it  may  be  neces- 
sary to  cut  the  map  into  sections  before  mounting. 
When  mounted  there  will  be  one-eighth  of  an  inch 


184  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

space  between  sections,  so  that  the  map  itself  will  not 
be  defaced  through  constant  folding.  The  mounting 
of  such  maps  is  a  difficult  task  and  should  be  done 
only  by  an  expert. 

RECASING   BOOKS 

1.  Remove   book    from   the    cover;   cut   out   old 
super  from  the  back  of  the  cover;  thoroughly  clean 
the    back   of    the   book   of    super    and   glue   without 
injuring  the  backs  of  the  signatures.     Lift  the  lining- 
paper  from  the  back  and  front  boards  of  the  cover 
and  remove  the  old  super.     Scrape  with  a  knife  the 
glue  which  does  not  come  off  with  the  super.     If  the 
back  of  the  book  seems  to  be  much  thicker  than  the 
fore  edge,  pound  down  with  a  backing-hammer. 

2.  Cut   strips   of   muslin    (or   canton    flannel)    a 
little  shorter  than  the  height  of  the  book,  wide  enough 
to  cover  the  back  and  to  extend  over  the  boards  i*4 
inches  on  each  side. 

3.  Cut    enough  flexible  glue  to  fill  a  double-boiler 
glue  pot  half  full  when  dissolved.     When  the  water 
comes  to  a  boil  the  glue,  which  must  be  used  hot  to 
get  good  results,  will  generally  be  ready  to  use.     If  it 
is  still  too  thick,  add  a  little  hot  water  to  thin  it. 

4.  Turn  back  the  lining  paper  on  front  and  back 
covers,   spread  the  glue   on   the  inside  of  the  back 
of  the  cover  and  on  the  boards  where  the  lining  has 
been  turned  back. 

5.  Put  the  strip  of  muslin  in  the  place  just  glued ; 
then  rub  down  the  lining  paper  over  the  muslin. 

6.  Even  up  tHe  book  by  tapping  it  on  the  table 


REPAIRING,  RECASING,  RECOVERING,  ETC.    185 

so  that  no  leaves  will  project  at  the  top,  bottom  or 
front. 

7.     Holding   the    book   firmly   in   the   hand,    glue 
the  back. 

8.  Place  the  back  on  the  muslin  lining  previously 
glued  to  the  back  of  the  cover,  care  being  taken  to 
see  that  the  book  is  not  put  in  upside  down. 

9.  Fold   over  the   cover   and,   taking  the   entire 
book  firmly  in  the  left  hand,  with  the  right  hand  push 
the  book  firmly  back  into  the  cover.     This  will  prevent 
it  from  becoming  concave. 

10.  Crease  the  joints  with  a  bone  folder  and  rub 
down  the  back. 

11.  When  the  book  is  dry,  open  it  and,  if  neces- 
sary, paste  new  papers  over  the  inside  covers.     This 
is   necessary,   because   it   is   frequently  impossible   to 
turn  back  the  lining  and  remove  the  old  super  without 
making  an  unsightly  piece  of  work. 

RECOVERING 

Rules  for  recovering  can  be  used  only  when  books 
do  not  need  to  be  resewed. 

1.  Remove  cover  from  the  main  part  of  the  book. 

2.  Remove  with  a  dull  knife  the  cloth  from  the 
outside  and  inside  of  the  cover  until  the  two  boards 
are  clean,  being  careful  not  to  cut  into  the  board  itself. 
It  is  not  worth  while  to  remove  old  paper  sides  or 
end  papers. 

3.  Remove  superfluous  glue,  super,  etc.,  from  the 
back.     If  the  book  has  been  overcast,  and  small  strips 
of  leather  have  been  placed  over  the  back,  paste  the 


l86  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

ends  of  these  strips  of  leather  to  the  end  papers. 
Such  a  book  will  also  have  end  papers  guarded  which 
will  remain  as  an  integral  part  of  the  book. 

4.  If  the  book  has  not  been  overcast,  it  will  be 
necessary  to  add  end  papers.     This  can  be  done  by 
using  two  sheets  which  when  folded  once  will  be  the 
size  of  the  leaves  of  the  book.     One  of  these  should 
be  a  ob-pound   and  the   other   an  8o-pound   manila 
paper,  both   guarded   entirely   around   the    fold   with 
jaconet.     Whipstitch   the   ob-pound    fly-leaves   to   the 
first  and  last  sections  of  the  book,  then  whipstitch  the 
8o-pound,    being    careful    to    pass    the    needle    back 
through  the  first  section.     Paste  one  of  the  fly-leaves 
and  one  of  the  end  papers  together. 

If  the  book  has  been  oversewed,  cut  the  end  papers 
of  8o-pound  manila  or  6o-pound  kraft  paper  the  size 
of  the  book  and  paste  on  the  entire  surface  of  the 
fly  leaves  which  are  integral  parts  of  the  book.  It 
will  not  be  necessary  to  guard  these  new  end  papers. 

5.  Trim  the  new  fly  leaves  and  end  papers  the 
exact  size  of  the  book. 

6.  Mark  the  boards  and  book  with  corresponding 
numbers  so  as  to  identify  them. 

7.  Place  boards  on  the  book  to  within  one-eighth 
of  an  inch  of  the  back  and  mark  the  distance  from 
the  back. 

8.  Measure  exactly  the  distance  across  the  back 
between  marks  just  made  on  the  end  papers. 

9.  Select  the  proper  cloth  with  which  to  cover 
the  book.     Place  the  boards  on  the  cloth,  allowing  the 
width  necessary  for  the  back  as  measured  in  No.  8. 


REPAIRING,  RECASING,  RECOVERING,  ETC.  187 

10.  Mark  around  boards  on  cloth. 

11.  Cut  cloth,  allowing  approximately  an  inch  and 
a  quarter  all  around  outside  edge  of  the  boards. 

12.  Glue  the  entire  surface  of  the  cloth. 

13.  Place  boards  on  markings  previously  made, 
pressing  down  firmly  on  the  glued  cloth. 

14.  Put  stiff  paper,  previously  cut  to  the  proper 
size,  on  the  glued  cloth  between  the  boards,  to  prevent 
the  glue  from  sticking  to  the  back  of  the  book.     This 
should  not  be  done  if  the  book  must  have  a  tight  back. 

15.  Turn  in  the  corners  as  follows:     Take  the 
exact  corner  of  the  cloth  and  turn  it  straight  in  over 
the  corner  of  the  board.     Next  turn  in  the  end  and 
then  the  side.     Rub  down  well  with  a  bone  folder. 

16.  With   bone    folder,    round   the   corners,   and 
crease  the  joints  at  the  back. 

17.  Put  the  case  so  formed  into  a  press  for  a  few 
minutes. 

1 8.  Cut  a  strip  of  thin,  tough  muslin  or  canton 
flannel  one-half  inch  shorter  than  the  height  of  the 
book  and  wide  enough  to  extend  an  inch  on  each  side 
of  the  book. 

19.  Glue  the  back  of  the  book  and  put  on  the 
muslin  or  canton  flannel. 

20.  Glue  the  entire  surface  of  the  completed  case. 

21.  With  the   fore   edge  in  the   right  hand,   lay 
book   in   its   proper   place   on   the   right-hand    cover, 
draw  up  the  left-hand  cover  and  lay  it  on  top.    Open 
the  book,  rub  down  the  end  papers  well  with  bone 
folder,  and  rub  down  the  back;  also  crease  the  joints. 

22.  Put  book  in  press  over  night. 


l88  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

23.  Letter  by  hand  either  with  black  or  white 
ink  as  the  case  demands. 

RE-SIDING 

Many  books  which  have  been  rebound  with  leather 
backs  come  to  the  binding  department  with  the  cloth 
sides  badly  frayed  at  the  corners  or  edges.  If  the  sew- 
ing is  good  and  the  book  is  clean,  it  is  worth  while 
to  put  on  new  sides. 

1.  Remove  cloth  sides  and  smooth  off  the  inside 
of  the  board  with  a  dull  knife. 

2.  Cut  two  pieces  of  cloth  a  little  larger  than  the 
sides. 

3.  Glue  the  inner  surface  of  the  cloth  and  place 
on  the  book,  turning  in  the  corners  as  described  in 
15  on  page   187. 

4.  Put  book  in  the  press. 

5.  After  book  .is  dry,  paste  a  single  end  paper 
over  the  inside  of  each  cover. 

REINFORCING 

In  Chapter  6  will  be  found  a  discussion  of  the 
advisability  of  purchasing  books  bound  from  the 
sheets  or  in  reinforced  publisher's  covers.  While  it 
is  advisable  on  the  whole  to  have  reinforcing  done  by 
regular  library  binders,  the  work  can  be  done  in  large 
libraries  that  have  proper  equipment  and  labor.  The 
essential  principles  of  reinforcing  are  the  same  in  all 
libraries  that  practice  it,  though  they  may  differ  as  to 
minor  details.  The  following  method  has  proved 
satisfactory. 


REPAIRING,  RECASING,  RECOVERING,  ETC.    189 

1.  Remove  the  book  from  its  cover,  which  is  laid 
aside   for   future  use.     If  the  call  number  is   to  be 
gilded  it  will  be  easier  to  do  it  before  the  cover  is 
removed  than  after  it  is  replaced. 

2.  Make  end  papers  and  fly-leaves  of  6o-pound 
kraft  paper  or  8o-pound  manila,  guarded  with  jaconet 
on   one   side   of   the    sheet.     End   papers    should    be 
guarded  on  the  inside  of  the  fold. 

3.  Oversew   the   fly-leaves  to  the  first   and  last 
sections  of  the  book,  being  careful  that  stitches  are 
not  over  one-eighth  of  an  inch  deep. 

4.  Sew  the  end  papers  to  the  fly-leaves  which 
have  just  been  oversewed,  and  paste  fly-leaves  and 
end  papers  together. 

5.  Apply  a  thin  coating  of  flexible  glue  to  the 
back  of  the  book  and  put  over  it  a  piece  of  thin  canton 
flannel  cut  as  long  as  the  book  and  wide  enough  to 
extend  an  inch  on  each  side.     This   should  be  well 
rubbed  down. 

6.  Paste  the  canton  flannel  which  projects  on  the 
side  to  the  end  papers. 

7.  Glue  one  side  of  the  book  and  place  it  on  the 
proper  side  of  the  cover.     Glue  the  side  remaining 
uppermost  and  draw  the  cover  up  over  it. 

8.  Rub  both  sides  and  back  until  sure  that  the 
glue  is  well  forced  into  them. 

9.  If  desired,  the  book  may  be  given  a  coat  of 
white  shellac  and  one  of  varnish,  after  which  it  should 
be  wiped  with  a  paraffine  cloth. 


IQQ  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

MAGAZINE    OR   PAMPHLET    COVERING 

1.  Cut  red  rope  manila  cardboard  the  exact  size 
oi  the  two  covers  plus  the  width  of  the  back. 

2.  Remove  the  cover  of  magazine  or  pamphlet,  if 
possible  keeping  it  in  one  piece. 

3.  Fit  the   red    rope   cover   over  the   magazine, 
creasing  carefully  at  the  joints  with  a  folder  so  that 
it  will  lie  flat  across  the  back  as  well  as  over  the  sides. 

4.  Glue  the  back  of  the  magazine  with  flexible 
glue  and  press  it  firmly  into  the  improvised  cover. 
Rub  down  the  back  with  a  folder. 

5.  Thread  a  needle  with  stout  linen  thread  and, 
using  it  double,  at  the  middle  of  the  book  put  the 
needle  through  from  the  inside  to  the  outside.     Leave 
about  two  inches  of  thread  projecting  on  the  inside. 

6.  Put  the  needle  through  from  the  outside  about 
an  inch  from  the  head  of  the  book.     The  needle  must 
come  through  in  the  same  section  where  the  thread  is 
projecting. 

7.  Carry  the  thread  through  to  about  the  same 
distance  from  the  tail  of  the  book  and  again  put  the 
needle  through  from  the  inside  to  the  outside. 

8.  Return   the  needle  at  the   same   place  where 
the  first  stitch  was  taken  and  tie  to  the  thread  left 
projecting  in  such  a  way  as  to  hold   fast  the  long 
thread  through  the  center. 

9.  Paste  the  paper  cover  previously  removed  on 
to  the  new  cover. 

This  method  can  be  used  for  all  pamphlets  one- 


REPAIRING,     RECASING,     RECOVERING,     ETC.          IQI 

half  inch  or  more  thick;  even  for  those  two  inches 
thick,  provided  that  the  use  they  will  receive  is  slight. 
In  the  case  of  the  thicker  unbound  books,  it  is  neces- 
sary to  sew  them  in  two  or  three  places. 

LABELING 

Few  libraries  can  afford  to  have  all  call  numbers 
gilded.  Therefore  it  is  necessary  either  to  letter 
directly  on  the  book,  or  to  put  call  numbers  in  ink 
on  a  white  label  which  has  first  been  placed  on  the 
book.  Much  objection  exists  to  these  gummed  labels, 
because  it  is  claimed  that  they  come  off  very  easily  and 
the  work  soon  has  to  be  done  over  again.  Undoubt- 
edly this  is  true  if  the  labels  are  not  properly  put  on; 
but  if  care  be  taken,  there  is  no  reason  why  the  white 
gummed  labels  should  not  last  until  it  is  necessary  to 
rebind  a  book,  when  of  course  the  call  number  will 
be  gilded. 

Two  points  must  be  remembered  in  applying  labels. 

i.  They  must  be  put  on  at  an  even  distance  from 
the  bottom  of  the  book.  Perhaps  nothing  else  will 
give  a  library  such  an  unsightly  appearance  as  uneven 
labels — some  at  the  top,  some  in  the  middle  and  some 
at  the  bottom.  The  exact  distance  from  the  bottom 
of  the  book  is  not  one  of  great  importance,  but  the 
bottom  of  the  label  should  not  be  less  than  i%  inches 
from  the  bottom  of  the  book,  nor  more  than  two 
inches.  Whatever  distance  is  adopted,  it  will  be  neces- 
sary to  have  a  piece  of  cardboard  which  may  be  used 
as  a  measure  when  applying  the  label. 


J92  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

2.  Labels  must  be  fastened  so  securely  that  they 
will  not  come  off.  This  seems  sufficiently  obvious,  bin 
as  a  matter  of  fact  many  assistants  who  do  this  work 
do  not  spend  sufficient  time  to  do  it  right. 

The  following  directions  should  be  followed: 

a.  If  the  book  is  new,  it  will  be  necessary  to  break 
down    the    glazed    surface    of    the    cloth    or    leather 
where  the   label   is   to  be   placed.     To   do  this,   use 
ammonia     diluted     somewhat     with    water.      Use     a 
brush  about  the  width  of  the  label  and  draw  across 
the   back   of   the   book   at   the   proper   place.    After 
having  done  ten  or  a  dozen  books,  it  is  best  to  wipe 
off  the  ammonia  with  a  piece  of  cheesecloth  which 
brings  with  it  the  glaze. 

b.  Labels  are   not  put   on   until  books   are   dry. 
Use  labels  made  of  extra  heavy  paper,  so  that  they 
will  not  turn  dark  when  shellac  is  applied  later.    They 
may  be  moistened  on  a  wet  sponge  or  on  some  one 
of  the  numerous  moisteners,  or  better  still,  they  may 
be  dipped  quickly  in  hot  water  with  a  pair  of  tweezers. 
In  using  some  labels  it  is  not  inadvisable  to  cover  the 
gummed  surface  with   a  thin  coating  of  paste.     As 
soon  as  the  label  is  pasted  on  the  book  straight  and 
in  proper  alignment,  it  should  be  pressed  firmly  down 
with  a  piece  of  cheesecloth.     This  part  of  the  opera- 
tion should  not  be  hurried  and  considerable  pressure 
should  be  used  until  the  label  has  firmly  adhered. 

c.  When   dry,   letter  with   India   ink   and   cover 
label  with  a  very  thin  coating  of  white  shellac.     Later, 
when  the  first  coating  is  thoroughly  dry,  cover  with 


REPAIRING,     RECASING,     RECOVERING,     ETC.         193 

a  thicker  coating  of  shellac.  This  should  be  done 
quickly  and  neatly.  If  the  line  of  shellac  is  uneven 
the  book  has  an  unsightly  appearance. 

d.  If  books  are  thin,  it  is  best  to  put  labels  on 
lengthwise.  If  very  thin,  put  labels  on  front  covers, 
near  the  back.  If  labels  project  over  the  back,  trim 
with  scissors. 

If  books  have  been  used  or  have  already  had 
labels,  the  process  is  the  same,  except  that  no  ammonia 
need  be  used. 

Old  labels  which  have  been  shellaced  are  hard  to 
remove.  The  best  way  is  to  apply  ammonia  and  water 
to  the  label,  allowing  it  to  soak  in.  When  thoroughly 
moistened,  remove  with  a  dull  knife.  Removing  dry 
labels  by  scraping  with  a  knife  injures  the  back  of  the 
book. 

LETTERING 
BY  HAND 

It  is  sometimes  feasible  to  letter  with  ink  on  the 
back  of  a  book  instead  of  putting  on  a  label  which 
holds  the  lettering.  If  the  surface  be  glazed,  it  can 
be  broken  down  with  diluted  ammonia,  or  sometimes 
merely  a  damp  cloth  will  be  sufficient. 

So  far  as  possible,  letter  with  black  India  ink. 
Carter's  white  ink  is  the  best  for  lettering  dark  col- 
ored cloths.  It  is  sometimes  difficult  for  a  novice  to 
use  white  ink,  but  it  can  be  handled  satisfactorily  if 
one  uses  a  stub  pen  which  is  kept  perfectly  clean  and 
is  always  wiped  before  being  dipped  in  the  ink.  Shake 


194  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

the  bottle  often  and  add  water  if  ink  is  too  thick. 
Gold  ink  should  never  be  used. 

When  lettering  is  dry,  apply  shellac  as  described 
under  Labeling. 

WITH  TYPE 

Some  of  the  larger  libraries  have  found  it  econ- 
omy to  have  a  binder's  printing  outfit  for  let- 
tering call  numbers  on  all  books,  even  when  the 
library  does  not  bind  books.  Such  an  outfit  may  be 
used  of  course  for  lettering  author  and  title,  but  there 
will  be  little  occasion  to  do  this  except  in  connection 
with  a  regular  bindery.  Call  numbers,  however,  are 
so  much  more  legible  and  permanent  when  put  on 
with  type  that  it  should  always  be  done  whenever  the 
number  of  accessions  is  sufficiently  large  to  warrant 
the  employment  of  some  person  to  do  the  work.  It 
does  not,  however,  need  experienced  finishers  and,  if 
time  permits,  may  be  done  by  regular  library  assis- 
tants after  some  instruction  and  practice.  It  will  be 
discovered,  however,  that  lettering  in  gold  on  cloth  is 
more  difficult  than  on  leather.  For  the  benefit  of 
those  who  wish  to  try  it  the  following  description  is 
given. 

Tools.  The  tools  necessary  are  a  pallet  to  hold  the 
type;  four  fonts  of  brass  type  (lead,  or  type  other 
than  brass  should  never  be  used)  ;  long-bladed  knife 
with  straight  edge  for  cutting  gold  leaf ;  cutting  pad ; 
gas  burner  similar  to  the  burners  on  cook  stoves;  and 


REPAIRING,     RECASING,     RECOVERING,     ETC.          195 

a  frame  with  wooden  screws  in  which  to  hold  the 
book  while  it  is  being  stamped. 

Materials.  The  materials  needed  are  the  best 
American  gold  leaf,  cotton  batting,  sweet  oil.  some 
specially  prepared  rubber  for  removing  the  excess  gold 
leaf,  and  glaire. 

The  tools  or  materials  which  are  used  exclusively 
by  binders  can  be  obtained  from  any  binders'  supply 
house.  Glaire  is  easily  made  as  follows: 

Take  whites  of  three  eggs ;  add  three  teaspoonfuls 
of  vinegar  and  beat  until  it  is  a  light  froth.  Let  stand 
a  few  hours  and  strain  through  a  piece  of  muslin  into 
a  bottle.  If  kept  corked  glaire  will  keep  for  some 
time. 

Process,  i.  Place  on  finishing  bench,  backs  up, 
books  on  which  call  numbers  are  to  be  gilded. 

2.  With  a  small  sponge,  apply  the  glaire  to  the 
part  of  the  back  which  is  to  receive  the  call  number, 
taking  care  to  draw  the  sponge  evenly  across  the  back, 
leaving  a  straight  line.     If  the  application  of  glaire 
makes  that  part  of  the  book  appear  radically  differ- 
ent from  the  rest  of  the  back,  the  glaire  may  be  ap- 
plied to  the   entire  back.   It  should   not  be   allowed 
to  run  over  on  the  sides.     Allow  the  glaire  to  dry 
thoroughly. 

3.  With  a  long-bladed  knife,  transfer  a  sheet  of 
gold  leaf  to  the  cutting  pad  which  must  be  thoroughly 
protected  by  screens  from  all  draughts.     If  the  gold 
leaf    does    not    lie    unwrinkled    on    the    cutting   pad 
breathe  on  it  lightly.     With  the  knife,  cut  the  leaf  in 


196  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

proper   size  for  work  to  be  done,  being  careful  to 
make  the  cuts  clean,  not  ragged. 

4.  Arrange  type  in  the  pallet,  beginning  at  the 
right,  and  put  type  in  the  gas  to  heat. 

5.  Screw  book,  back  up,  firmly  in  the  frame. 

6.  With   cotton   batting,   apply   sweet   oil   to   the 
part  to  be  stamped,  being  careful  to  cover  thoroughly 
this  surface  with  the  oil.     This  is  done  to  make  the 
gold  stick. 

7.  Apply  a  piece  of  cotton,  slightly  oiled,  to  the 
gold  leaf  which  will  instantly  stick.     It  can  then  be 
transferred  to  the  book,  where  the  sweet  oil  will  hold 
it  securely. 

8.  Test  the  type  for  heat.     A  little  practice  will 
soon  teach  the  novice  when  the  type  is  hot  enough. 
The  object  of  heating  the  type  is  to  make  the  gold 
combine  with  the  glaire  in  such  a  way  as  to  cause  the 
gold  to  adhere.     It  is  better  to  have  the  type  too  cold 
rather  than  too  hot.     If  it  is  too  cold,  the  gold  will 
not  stick  and  the  work  must  be  done  over  again ;  if 
too  hot,  it  burns  the  leather  or  cloth  and  the  damage 
is  irremediable.     For  cloth  work  the  type  can  be  used 
hotter  than  for  leather. 

9.  Apply  type  to  the  book,  pressing  down  firmly. 
The  pressure  makes  an  indentation.     If  the  materials 
are  of  the  right  quality,  the  work  carefully  done  and 
the  type  of  the  right  degree  of  heat,  the  gold  will  be 
firmly  embedded. 

10.  With  the  specially   prepared   rubber   remove 
the  waste  gold.    When  the  rubber  has  absorbed  all 


REPAIRING,  RECASING,  RECOVERING,  ETC.  197 

the  gold  that  it  is  capable  of  taking  up,  it  may  be  sent 
to  a  dealer  who  will  refine  it  and  give  credit  for  the 
gold  which  it  contains.  About  one-third  of  the  orig- 
inal cost  of  the  gold  should  be  obtained  from  the  sale 
of  the  waste. 

Whenever  books  are  bound  in  light  colored  cloths 
on  which  gold  does  not  readily  show  use  a  black  ink 
specially  made  for  this  purpose.  It  is  much  easier  to. 
use  than  gold,  since  the  ink  is  evenly  spread  on  a 
smooth,  hard  surface  and  the  type  is  used  cold.  No 
glaire  is  necessary. 


14 


CHAPTER  XI 
MAGAZINE  BINDERS 

One  of  the  vexing  questions  which  properly  comes 
under  the  head  of  binding  is  that  of  magazine  binders 
used  on  current  periodicals  in  reading  rooms.  The 
binding  of  current  numbers  for  circulation  is  described 
on  page  190.  It  must  be  admitted  that  no  binder  on 
the  market  is  perfectly  satisfactory.  Some  hold  the 
periodicals  satisfactorily  but  are  hard  to  adjust. 
Others  are  easy  to  adjust  but  the  magazines  slip  out 
easily,  or  can  with  ease  be  surreptitiously  removed. 
Some  have  keys  which  become  lost  or  will  not  work ; 
some  are  clumsy ;  and  some  have  projections  which 
scratch  tables.  All  are  hard  to  hold  in  the  hands.  On 
an  average  a  new  binder  is  put  on  the  market  each 
year  with  the  assurance  of  the  maker  that  all  faults 
have  been  eliminated.  A  trial  soon  convinces  the 
librarian  that  it  is  no  better  than  others  and  that  the 
perfect  binder  does  not  exist. 

For  the  small  library  the  problem  is-  not  an  impor- 
tant one,  since  it  is  entirely  feasible  in  such  libraries 
to  place  current  numbers  without  covers  on  reading 
room  tables,  or  to  cover  them  with  tough  paper.  Mr. 
Dana  advocates  using  most  magazines  without  bind- 
ers even  in  the  reading  room  of  a  large  library. 


200  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

Possibly  this  may  be  done  advantageously  in  some 
libraries,  but  it  will  depend  upon  the  atmosphere  of 
the  city,  the  character  of  those  who  use  the  library 
and  the  ease  with  which  assistants  can  keep  all  readers 
under  observation.  Librarians  for  the  most  part  will 
continue  to  believe  that  a  temporary  binder  of  one 
kind  or  another  is  necessary  for  current  periodicals 
in  the  general  reading  room. 

Binders  in  the  reading  room  serve  two  purposes. 
They  protect  the  magazine  and  they  help  to  remind 
readers  that  the  magazines  are  public  property.  Some 
magazines — the  Scientific  American,  for  example — 
are  very  thin  and  may  be  easily  folded  and  put  into 
an  inside  pocket.  A  binder  does  not  prevent  theft, 
but  its  tendency  is  to  reduce  it. 

The  qualifications  of  a  good  binder  are: 

1.  Ease  of  fastening,  together  with  difficulty  in 
removing  magazines  by  the  uninitiated. 

2.  Comparative  ease  of  holding  in  the  hand. 

3.  Durability  of  surface  and  of  device  used  for 
fastening  the  magazine. 

4.  Preservation  of  the  magazine  without  injury. 

5.  Firmness  when  finally  fastened. 

Even  the  best  magazine  binders  are  far  from  being 
perfect  in  any  of  these  requirements,  except  in  ease 
with  which  they  are  fastened. 

There  are  many  kinds  of  magazine  binders.  Mr. 
Dana,  in  the  second  edition  of  his  "Notes  on  book- 
binding for  libraries,"  mentions  by  name  twelve  differ- 
ent makes;  and  as  many  more,  some  of  which  are 
equally  good,  are  known  to  the  writer.  But  were 


MAGAZINE     BINDERS  2OI 

there  twice  as  many  it  is  probable  that  they  would  fall, 
as  they  do  now,  into  five  classes. 

1.  Spring  back. 

2.  Eyelet  and  tape. 

3.  Sewed. 

4.  Rod. 

5.  Clamp  which  is  screwed  up  tight. 

The  well  known  spring-back  variety  is,  in  prin- 
ciple, a  semi-circular  steel  tube  longer  than  the  maga- 
zine to  be  held,  to  which  board  sides  are  attached. 
When  the  cover  is  closed  the  jaws  of  the  steel  are 
close  together.  In  order  to  insert  the  magazine  the 
covers  are  bent  back  toward  each  other.  This  opens 
wide  the  jaws  and  the  magazine  is  slipped  in.  When 
the  covers  are  released  the  steel  tube  is  firmly  fastened 
to  the  back  of  the  magazine.  This  kind  of  binder  is 
probably  the  easiest  of  all  to  adjust.  It  is,  however, 
equally  easy  to  remove,  is  clumsy  and  is  harder  to 
hold  in  the  hand  than  others. 

In  the  eyelet  and  tape  class  there  are  holes  in  the 
back  of  the  cover.  In  fastening  the  magazine,  tape 
or  cord  (generally  a  shoe  string)  is  passed  through 
the  center  of  the  magazine,  laced  into  the  eyelet  and 
tied.  The  main  objections  to  this  kind  of  a  binder 
are  that  it  takes  some  time  to  fasten  them  and  the 
magazine  is  generally  loose  in  the  binder  when 
fastened. 

Binders  which  require  sewing  have  holes  in  the 
sides  near  the  back.  Instead,  however,  of  passing  the 
cord  through  the  center  of  the  magazine,  holes  corre- 
sponding to  holes  in  the  binder  are  punched  directly 


202  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

through  the  magazine  at  the  back,  one  near  the  head, 
one  near  the  tail  and  another  in  the  middle.  The 
binder  is  then  sewed  on  through  these  holes.  The 
chief  merit  of  these  binders  is  that  they  are  inex- 
pensive; but  it  takes  longer  to  attach  them  than  other 
binders  and  the  magazine  is  injured  by  the  holes 
which  have  been  punched. 

There  are  various  kinds  of  binders  which  use  steel 
rods  or  bars  through  the  center  of  the  magazine. 
Some  use  one  rather  heavy  rod  which  is  hinged  at 
one  end,  and  hooked  or  fastened  into  a  slot  at  the 
other  end  when  the  magazine  has  been  inserted.  Some 
have  two  or  more  thin  steel  rods  hinged  or  pivoted 
at  one  end  and  held  by  a  pin  or  a  lock  at  the  other 
end.  And  one  at  least  has  steel  bars  not  permanently 
attached,  the  ends  of  which  are  in  the  form  of  a  semi- 
circle, which  are  dropped  between  rigid  uprights  and 
prevented  from  slipping  off  by  caps  screwed  on  the 
uprights. 

The  writer  knows  of  only  two  binders  which  use  a 
clamp  which  must  be  screwed  tightly  in  order  to  hold 
the  magazine  firmly.  The  great  merit  of  these  binders 
is  that  they  hold  the  magazine  firmly,  so  that  it  can 
by  no  possibility  be  removed  except  by  the  assistant 
who  has  the  key.  They  are,  however,  clumsy  and 
unduly  large  at  the  back  and  it  takes  some  time  to 
fasten  them  to  the  magazine. 

Taking  into  consideration  all  points  of  excellence 
it  is  probable  that  some  form  of  rod  binder  is  the  best. 
Rod  binders  are  not  hard  to  apply ;  they  require  some 
effort  to  remove  them — those  which  lock  cannot  be 


MAGAZINE     BINDERS  2O3 

removed  without  a  key;  they  are  firm  when  applied; 
and  many  of  them  do  not  injure  the  magazine. 
Nearly  every  librarian  has  his  own  personal  preference 
among  such  binders. 

Since  binders  receive  very  hard  wear  it  is  impor- 
tant that  they  should  be  made  of  good  material.  Those 
which  are  used  for  popular  magazines  should  have 
cowhide  backs  and  buckram  or  imitation  leather 
(keratol  or  fabrikoid)  sides.  A  full  leather  binding 
would  help  solve  the  question  of  dirt,  but  it  is  equally 
well  and  less  expensively  solved  by  using  imitation 
leather  on  the  side.  In  reading  rooms  frequented 
only  by  educated  persons  binders  with  flexible  leather 
covers  are  desirable  and  are  greatly  enjoyed  by  read- 
ers. The  cheaper  grades  of  cloth,  such  as  are  used 
by  the  publishers,  should  never  be  used,  as  they  soon 
wear  through  at  the  edges  and  corners.  In  many 
cases  it  is  wise  to  use  pigskin  or  morocco  on  the 
back,  though  if  this  is  done,  the  cloth  sides  and  the 
boards  themselves  may  become  disreputable  before 
the  back  is  worn.  In  nearly  all  binders  the  mechan- 
ism can  be  removed  from  the  boards  when  they  be- 
come shabby,  and  new  covers  attached.  This  will 
save  some  of  the  expense  of  a  new  binder.  A  clever 
mender  can  do  such  work  so  that  it  need  not  be  sent 
to  a  regular  library  binder.  The  boards  should  not 
be  made  of  mill  boards,  but  of  semi-tar  or  tar  boards. 


CHAPTER  XII 
PAMPHLETS 

Fortunately  it  is  not  necessary  to  decide  here  the 
ever-vexing  question  "When  is  a  pamphlet  not  a  pam- 
phlet?" From  the  binding  viewpoint  any  printed 
matter  of  more  than  four  pages  which  does  not  have  a 
stiff  cover  is  a  pamphlet  and  it  is  within  the  province 
of  the  binding  assistant  to  prepare  it  for  the  shelves. 

Unbound  material  in  libraries  is  of  three  kinds: 
periodicals;  serial  publications  which  are  not  peri- 
odicals such  as  annual  reports,  bulletins  of  societies  or 
government  bureaus,  etc.;  and  separate  pamphlets  not 
numbered,  of  a  monographic  character.  The  binding 
of  periodicals  forms  part  of  the  regular  routine  and  is 
discussed  elsewhere  in  this  book. 

Annual  reports  and  other  publications  of  a  serial 
character  should  be  filed  in  pamphlet  boxes  on  the 
regular  shelves  at  the  end  of  the  bound  set.  When  a 
sufficient  number  of  reports  have  collected  they  may 
be  bound  in  cloth  by  decades  or  half-decades,  accord- 
ing to  the  thickness  of  the  reports.  In  many  libraries 
most  of  such  publications  need  not  be  bound  at  all,  but 
will  answer  every  purpose  if  wrapped  in  paper  and 
lettered  by  hand.  Serials  other  than  annual  reports 
generally  give  some  indication  of  which  numbers 


206  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

should  be  bound  together,  if  bound  at  all.  If  there 
be  no  change  of  numbering  or  no  completion  of  vol- 
ume numbers  to  indicate  a  separation,  they  should  be 
arbitrarily  grouped  in  volumes  of  a  convenient  size, 
conforming  if  possible  to  one  or  more  calendar  years, 
and  bound  or  wrapped  in  paper.  If  series  are  not  to 
be  kept  together  they  should  be  treated  as  described  in 
the  following  paragraphs. 

Monographic  works  in  unbound  form  range  in  size 
from  those  of  a  dozen  pages  to  those  of  several  hun- 
dred. Probably  the  best  arrangement  for  a  large  part 
of  this  material  is  to  assign  a  subject  heading  or  a 
class  number  and  keep  in  a  vertical  file  alphabetically 
or  by  class  number.  With  this  the  binding  depart- 
ment has  no  concern,  but  there  are  always  a  number 
of  pamphlets  which  have  permanent  value  for  the 
library  and  which  should  be  treated  in  the  same  way 
as  a  book  with  stiff  covers. 

Undoubtedly  the  cheapest  way  to  prepare  pam- 
phlets not  over  one-half  inch  thick  for  the  shelves 
is  to  put  them  into  Gaylord  binders.  These  are  made 
of  board  sides  connected  at  the  back  by  a  strip  of 
cloth  and  having  on  the  inside  gummed  flaps  which 
can  be  attached  to  the  back  of  the  pamphlet.  There 
are  thirty  different  sizes  ranging  from  5  by  7  inches 
to  i2l/2  by  17  inches.  They  are  made  in  two  qualities, 
the  photo-mount  costing  from  $3.15  to  $13.60  per  hun- 
dred and  press  board  costing  from  $4.25  to  $17.60  a 
hundred.1  If  the  pamphlet  has  a  cover  as  well  as  a 
title  page,  the  cover  should  be  taken  off  and  pasted  to 

1  Prices  increased  10  per  cent  April  10,  1916. 


PAMPHLETS  207 

the  outside  of  the  front  cover  of  the  binder.  In  addi- 
tion to  moistening  and  attaching  the  gummed  flaps,  it 
will  be  found  necessary  in  many  cases  either  to  wire 
through  the  back  of  the  pamphlet  with  some  kind  of 
a  stapling  machine,  or  to  sew  through  as  described 
on  page  190  for  attaching  red  rope  manila  to  circulat- 
ing magazines. 

When  the  pamphlet  is  firmly  attached  in  the  binder 
it  should  be  lettered  in  white  ink  along  the  back.  If 
the  pamphlet  is  very  thin  it  will  be  necessary  to  letter 
author,  title  and  call  number  along  the  back  edge  of 
the  front  cover,  close  to  the  back.  If  the  original 
cover  has  not  been  pasted  on  the  outside  it  will  also 
be  necessary  to  letter  author  and  title  across  the  front 
cover. 

Pamphlets  which  are  too  big  to  go  into  the  binders 
can  be  bound  in  regular  book  form  if  their  use  will 
warrant  the  expense.  If  the  use  will  be  slight  they 
can  be  made  very  serviceable  by  using  the  red  rope 
manila  as  described  on  page  190. 

Very  large  libraries  keep  all  pamphlets  perman- 
ently. Those  which  are  not  sufficiently  important 
to  treat  as  books  are  generally  kept  in  classified  order 
in  temporary  cases.  When  a  sufficient  number  have 
been  collected  on  any  subject  they  may  be  bound  to- 
gether in  volumes  of  proper  size.  So  far  as  possible 
pamphlets  of  the  same  size  should  be  bound  together  in 
cloth,  but  they  may  vary  a  little  if  they  are  level  on 
top.  The  expense  of  binding  in  this  way  is,  of  course, 
much  less  than  if  each  pamphlet  had  been  put  in  a 


208  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

binder.  Smaller  libraries  may  perhaps  be  well  advised 
to  bind  in  this  way  pamphlets  having  a  local  interest 
which  must  be  kept  permanently. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  discuss  here  the  various  kinds 
of  temporary  homes  of  pamphlets,  such  as  manila 
folders,  envelopes,  wooden  or  pasteboard  boxes,  Bal- 
lard  klips,  etc.  They  all  have  their  uses,  and  each 
librarian  must  work  out  whatever  scheme  seems  best 
to  him. 


CHAPTER  XIII 
BINDERY  IN  THE  LIBRARY  BUILDING 

How  large  an  amount  of  binding  must  a  library 
have  before  it  becomes  economical  to  establish  a  bind- 
ery in  the  library  building?  This  question  is  fre- 
quently asked  and  is  difficult  to  answer.  In  the  first 
place,  local  conditions  must  be  taken  into  considera- 
tion. Is  there  in  the  same  city  a  library  bindery  which 
does  satisfactory  work  at  reasonable  prices,  or  must 
work  be  sent  a  long  distance  away?  Is  there  ample 
room  in  the  building  and  is  it  easily  adapted  to  binding 
purposes?  Can  a  good  foreman  be  employed?  Is 
the  local  rate  of  wages  so  high  as  to  make  the  cost 
of  the  binding  in  the  library  equal  the  cost  in  a  good 
bindery  outside  the  city?  These  are  some  of  the 
questions  which  must  be  considered. 

Some  of  the  advantages  in  having  a  bindery  in  the 
building  are  as  follows: 

1.  It  is  more  convenient.     When  books  are  much 
needed  they  can  be  found  and  generally  used,  even  if 
incompletely  bound. 

2.  There  is  less  chance  of  losing  books.     When 
books  are  sent  to  a  binder  who  does  the  work  of  other 
libraries  also  there  is  always  a  chance  of  loss.     The 
binder,  of  course,  is  responsible,  but  one  would  always 
rather  have  the  book  than  the  cash  value. 


210  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

3.  There  is   no  chance  of   damage  to  books   in 
transit. 

4.  Repairs  which  are  too  difficult  for  the  ordinary 
library  mender  to   make  can  easily  be  done  in  the 
library  bindery  at  slight  cost. 

5.  The  books  need  not  as  a  rule  spend  so  long  a 
time  in   the  bindery.     If  perchance  the  bindery  be- 
comes clogged  with  extra  work  the  librarian  can  rush 
the  books  that  are  needed  most.     If  such  books  are  in 
another  bindery,  especially  when  that  bindery  is  out- 
side the  city,  it  is  difficult  to  get  the  books  that  are 
needed  first. 

6.  There    is    a    certain    amount    of    competition 
which  works  to  advantage  if  part  of  the  books  have 
to  be  bound  outside.     The  outside  binder  knows  that 
the  librarian  who  operates  a  bindery  in  his  own  build- 
ing knows  something  about  the  cost  of  binding,  and 
he  realizes  that  unless  his  prices  are  reasonable  and  his 
work  good  he  need  not  expect  to  be  favored. 

7.  The  librarian  can  at  all  times  inspect  materials 
on  hand  and  see  the  books  in  the  process  of  binding. 
The  bindery  outside  the  building  can  sometimes  sub- 
stitute inferior  materials  without  fear  of  detection  for 
many  months. 

8.  When  the  work  reaches  a  certain  amount  it 
can  be  done  at  reduced  cost  in  the  library,  since  the 
ordinary   profits   of  the   bindery   will  accrue   to   the 
library. 

9.  It  is  much  easier  to  make  experiments  with 
new  materials  or  new  processes.     While  the  outside 


211 


binder  does  not  care  to  get  a  small  quantity  of  a  riew 
material,  the  library  which  owns  its  own  bindery  can 
do  so  easily. 

10.  A  bindery  in  the  library  can  do  much  work, 
such  as  the  mounting  of  maps  or  photographs,  gilding 
of  call  numbers  and  book-mending,  which  needs  skilled 
workmen.  Such  work  frequently  remains  undone, 
either  because  the  regular  library  force  has  no  time 
to  do  it  or  because  it  seems  unwise  to  send  it  outside 
the  library. 

Such  are  some  of  the  benefits,  but  only  the  larger 
libraries  which  bind  many  thousands  of  volumes  can 
take  advantage  of  them  successfully  from  the  financial 
standpoint.  In  order  to  be  administered  economically 
there  must  be  sufficient  work  to  keep  several  workmen 
busy.  It  probably  is  not  wise  to  open  a  bindery  when 
the  annual  expenditure  for  binding  is  less  than  $4,000. 

There  are  two  ways  in  which  a  library  bindery 
may  be  administered.  Under  the  first  plan  the  library 
buys  all  material  and  hires  all  the  workmen,  employing 
a  foreman  on  salary  to  take  charge.  A  schedule  of 
prices  which  is  lower  than  the  prices  paid  to  outside 
binders  should  be  adopted,  and  the  total  value  of 
binding  in  a  year  based  on  this  schedule  must  equal 
the  cost  of  material,  wages  and  depreciation  on  the 
value  of  the  plant.  Under  this  plan  the  work  may  be 
unexcelled  in  quality,  but  there  is  no  incentive  to 
produce  it  in  quantity.  So  long  as  the  work  turned 
out  balances  the  outlay  the  employees,  unless  they  are 
exceptionally  conscientious,  are  satisfied.  There  is 


212  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

also  the  added  difficulty  of  finding  a  competent  fore- 
man. Any  man  who  is  able  to  manage  a  library 
bindery  successfully  is  able  to  manage  any  bindery 
successfully  and  he  will  not  be  willing  to  work  for 
the  salary  which  the  library  can  afford  to  pay.  The 
librarian  himself,  harassed  as  he  is  with  many  prob- 
lems, must  of  necessity  leave  such  matters  as  the  pur- 
chase of  material  and  the  hiring  of  workmen  to  the 
foreman  in  whom  he  must  have  implicit  confidence. 
The  librarian  cannot  assume  the  same  attitude  toward 
his  bindery  foreman  that  the  proprietor  of  a  regular 
bindery  may  assume.  He  is  not  skilled  in  the  craft, 
does  not  know  about  materials,  especially  leathers, 
and  cannot  direct  the  work. 

Under  the  second  plan  the  library  lets  the  work 
out  by  contract  to  some  binder  who  agrees  to  do  the 
work  in  the  building.  The  contractor  is  under  no 
expense  for  rent,  heat  and  light,  and  in  arranging 
prices  this  is  taken  into  consideration.  It  is  obvious 
that  it  is  to  the  interest  of  the  binder  to  turn  out  as 
large  a  number  of  books  as  possible.  Since  the 
librarian  has  safeguarded  the  library  in  the  contract 
by  specifying  that  all  materials  and  work  must  meet 
with  his  approval,  this  plan  is  more  advantageous  to 
him  than  the  former  plan.  The  contract  should  allow 
for  frequent  revision  of  schedule. 

Under  the  first  plan  the  librarian  will  be  obliged 
to  buy  all  machinery,  tools  and  materials,  and  to  hire 
the  workmen.  Under  the  second  plan  he  may  have 
to  buy  the  machinery  and  tools,  but  the  purchase  of 


BINDERY     IN     THE     LIBRARY    BUILDING 


213 


materials  and  the  hiring  of  labor  will  be  in  the  hands 
of  the  contractor. 

A  good  binding  plant  will  contain  the  articles  in 
the  following  list.  Those  marked  *  are  necessary, 
even  when  the  amount  of  work  turned  out  is  small : 


*  i  sewing  frame 

*  i  standing  press 

*  4  dozen  press-boards 

(all  sizes) 

*  i  glue  pot 

*  3  hammers 

*  i  board  shears 

*  i  lever  paper  cutter 

1  perforating  machine 

2  extra  cutting  knives 

*  i  hammering-block  with 

plate 
i  grindstone 

*  i  paring  stone 

*  i  oil  stone 

*  2  pairs  of  shears 

*  2  paring  knives 

*  8  bone  folders 
*4  brushes 

*  i  monkey  wrench 
i  sandstone 

*  2  saws 

*  i  book-backing         ma- 

chine 

*  2  dozen  sewing  needles 


i 
*i 

i 
*i 

i 

*    T 


ruler 

screw  driver 
lying  press 
finishing  press 
steel  square 
pair  pliers 
2  straight-edges 
*3  awls 

*  i  iron  divider 

*  i  oil  can 

*  i  paste  bucket 

*  i  complete  set  of  brass 

type 

*  i  pallet 

*  i  gold  cushion 

*  i  gold  knife 

*  6  gilding  rolls 

*  i  imprint  stamp 

*  i  single  fillet 

two-line  fillet 
finishing  gas  stove 
i  ten-drawer  type  cab- 
inet 

i  flat  agate  polisher 
i  flat  steel  polisher 


i 

*i 

* 


15 


214  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

I  round  agate  polisher  *  i  finisher's  bench 

i  gas  stove  for  heating  i  small  table 

glue  i  band  nippers 

*  i  forwarder's  bench  i  creaser 

*  i  sewing  table 

The  total  cost  of  the  plant  will  vary  in  various 
sections  of  the  country,  but  it  ought  not  to  cost  more 
than  $800.  If  second-hand  cutting  machines,  benches, 
etc.,  can  be  obtained  it  is  possible  that  the  cost  may 
be  reduced  to  $650  or  less.  The  St.  Louis  Public 
Library  recently  equipped  a  bindery  at  a  cost  of  $587. 
During  the  first  year,  with  a  force  of  fifteen,  it  turned 
out  work  to  the  value  of  $9,609. 


APPENDIXES 


APPENDIX  A 

SPECIFICATIONS  OF  THE  U.  S.  BUREAU 
OF  STANDARDS  FOR  BOOK  CLOTHS 

FABRIC 

The  fabric  shall  be  made  from  first-quality  staple  cotton, 
uniformly  woven  and  of  a  grade  known  as  "firsts."  The 
weave  shall  be  two  up  and  two  down  in  the  warp  and  one 
up  and  one  down  in  the  weft. 

The  gray  cloth  shall  consist  of  from  33  to  36  threads 
per  centimeter  (85  to  90  per  inch)  in  the  warp,  and  12 
to  15  threads  per  centimeter  (30  to  38  per  inch)  in  the  weft.. 

The  surface  shall  be  finished  smooth  and  hard  and 
show  no  tendency  to  stick  when  folded  upon  itself. 

THICKNESS,  TENSILE  STRENGTH  AND  WEIGHT 

The  thickness  of  the  finished  fabric  shall  not  exceed 
0.30  millimeter  (0.012  inch)  or  be  less  than  0.20  milli- 
meter (0.008  inch).  The  tensile  strength  of  the  gray  cloth 
shall  be  not  less  than  18  kilograms  per  centimeter  (100 
pounds  per  inch)  of  width  in  the  warp,  and  9  kilograms 
per  centimeter  (50  pounds  per  inch)  in  the  weft.  The 
average  value  for  the  warp  and  weft  in  the  finished  fabric 
must  show  an  increase  over  the  average  value  for  the 
warp  and  weft  in  the  gray  cloth  of  at  least  10  per  cent 
of  the  strength  of  the  gray  cloth. 

The  finished  fabric,  when  dry,  shall  weigh  not  more  than 
250  grams  per  square  meter  (0.5  pound  per  yard),  or  less 
than  200  grams  per  square  meter  (0.4  pound  per  yard). 


2l8  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

ABSORPTION  OF  MOISTURE 

At  a  normal  relative  humidity  of  65  per  cent  it  shall 
not  absorb  more  than  5  per  cent  of  moisture,  or  expand  (an 
average  of  both  directions)  to  exceed  0.45  per  cent,  and 
when  subjected  in  a  closed  case  to  a  saturated  atmosphere 
for  two  hours  at  a  temperature  of  20°  C.  (68°  F.)  shall 
not  absorb  more  than  10  per  cent  of  moisture  or  expand 
(an  average  of  both  directions)  to  exceed  2  per  cent.  All 
increases  to  be  computed  on  the  basis  of  the  dry  weight 
and  dimensions. 


FOLDING  ENDURANCE 

The  folding  endurance,  as  determined  by  the  Schopper 
folder,  shall  be  not  less  than  65,000  double  folds  for  the 
warp  and  not  less  than  10,000  for  the  weft. 


COLOR 

Before  coating,  the  fabric  must  be  dyed  with  a  purely 
mineral  or  inorganic  color  (such  as  iron  salts),  so  as  to 
imitate  the  color  of  the  finished  cloth,  but  somewhat  lighter 
in  shade,  so  as  to  give  the  desired  "linen"  effect.  All  coal- 
tar,  aniline,  vegetable,  or  other  organic  dyes  and  lakes  must 
be  strictly  excluded  from  both  fabric  and  coating,  even  in 
traces;  except  where  necessary  to  match  color,  lake  may 
be  used  in  red,  blue,  or  brown.  The  following  substances 
must  be  also  excluded:  Chrome  yellow  and  other  chromates, 
ultramarine,  browns  containing  bituminous  or  other  organic 
matter,  compounds  of  lead  and  arsenic. 

The  color  of  the  finished  fabric  should  be  slightly  darker 
than  the  standard  sample,  which  will  be  furnished  on  appli- 
cation, and  it  must  not  show  the  slightest  change  of  color 
after  exposure  under  prescribed  conditions  to  direct  sun- 
light, or  to  the  action  of  ammonia  gas,  sulphuretted-hydro- 
gen gas,  sulphur-dioxide  gas,  or  illuminating  gas. 


APPENDIX  2IQ 

RESISTANCE  TO  MOLD  AND  INSECTS 

The  finished   fabric  shall  be  immune  to  the  growth  of 
mold  or  the  attack  of  insects. 


TESTS 

Physical  and  chemical  tests  to  verify  the  properties 
required  by  these  specifications  will  be  made  according  to 
the  "Standard  method  for  testing  book  cloths"  as  used  by 
the  Bureau  of  Standards,  copies  of  which  can  be  obtained 
on  application. 


APPENDIX  B 

READING  LIST  ON  BINDING 

Adam,   Paul.    Practical  bookbinding.     1903.    Van   Nostrand. 

$1.25. 

A  translation  of  a  German  work. 

American  library  association.  Committee  on  bookbinding. 
Binding  for  libraries.  1915.  A.  L.  A.  Publishing  Board. 
$.15.  (Library  handbook  No.  5.  Second  edition,  revised.) 
Binding  specifications  which  may  be  used  by  large  as  well  as  small 

libraries. 

Bailey,    A.    L.    Bookbinding.     1911.    A.    L.    A.    Publishing 
Board.    $.10. 
Preprint  of  Manual   of  library  economy,   Chapter  26. 

Bindery  talk.     1912-13.    v.  1-2.    All  published. 

A  periodical  published  by  W.   E.   Reavis,   Los  Angeles,   California, 
covering  various  phases  of  library  binding. 

Bliss,     H.    E.    Better    bookbinding    for    libraries.    Library 
Journal,  1905,  30:849-57. 
Brief  article  on  methods  and  materials. 

Brown,   J.   D.    Bookbinding  and   repairing.     In  his   Manual 
of  library  economy,  pp.  328-48. 
Valuable  chiefly  for  its  section  on  lettering. 

Brown,  M.  W.  Mending  and  repair  of  books.  A.  L.  A. 
Publishing  Board.  $.15.  (Library  handbook  No.  6.) 

Caldwell,  M.  R.  Preparing  for  the  binder.  Public  Li- 
braries, 1906,  11:302-3. 

Chivers,  Cedric.  Paper  and  binding  of  lending  library 
books.  American  Library  Association.  Bulletin.  1909, 

3 : 231-59. 

Also  published  separately  by  Mr.  Chivers.    A  record  of  experiments 
and  tests  of  modern  book  papers. 


222  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

Chivers,  Cedric.    Relative  value  of  leathers  and  other  bind- 
ing materials.    1911.    Published  by  the  author. 
A  record  of  tests  of  leathers.     Practically  the  same  article  will  be 

found  in  the   Bulletin  of  the  American  Library  Association  for   1911, 

p.  164. 

Cockerell,    Douglas.  Bookbinding   and   the   care  of   books. 

1902.    Appleton.  $1.25. 

Best    general   book  on    binding   processes,    but   does    not   cover    all 
library   requirements. 

Coutts,  H.  T.,  and  Stephen,  G.  A.    Manual  of  library  book- 
binding.    1911.    Libraco  Limited.    7s.  6d.  net. 
A  valuable  book  for  all  libraries.     Gives  the  English  point  of  view. 

Crane,   W.  J.   E.    Bookbinding   for  amateurs.     1903.     Scrib- 

ner.    $.65. 
Cundall,  Joseph,  ed.     On  bookbindings,  ancient  and  modern. 

1881.    Bell,  Lond.    $12. 

Will  be  used  mainly  by  those  interested  in  the  history  and  artistic 
side  of  bookbinding. 

Dana,    J.    C.    Notes    on   bookbinding    for    libraries.    Ed.    2. 
1910.    Library  Bureau.    $i. 
The  best  single  book  for  the  librarian. 

Drury,  F.  K.  W.    On  protecting  pamphlets.    Library  Jour- 
nal, 1910,  35:  118-19. 

Field,  C.     Book  repairing.     California  News  Notes,  2 :  105-8. 

Hasluck,  P.  N.,  ed.    Bookbinding.     1903.    McKay.    $.50. 

Practical  handbook.     Does  not   cover  strong  binding  for   libraries. 

Home,  H.  P.    Binding  of  books.     1894.     Scribner.    $2. 
For  those  interested  in  the  artistic  side  of  binding. 

Hulme,    E.    W.,    and    others.    Leather    for    libraries.     1905. 
Library  Supply  Co.,  London.    2s.  6d.  net. 

Lowe,    J.   A.    Permanent    book    marking.     Library    Journal. 
1910,  35 :  15-17. 

Macleod,    R.    D.    Preservation    of    books    in    libraries.    Li- 
brary World,  11:256,  331,  368,  417. 

Deals  with  general  repairs,  etc.     The  second  part  (p.  331)   is  espe- 
cially valuable  for  the  large  number  of  cleaning  recipes. 


APPENDIX  223 

Memoranda  relative  to  binding  publications   for  distribution 
to   state  and  territorial  libraries  and  depositories.     1908. 
U.  S.  Superintendent  of  Documents. 
An   account   of   the   tests    of   book   cloths  made  by   the    Bureau   of 

Standards. 

Philip,  A.  J.    The  business  of  bookbinding  from  the  view- 
point of  the  binder,  the  publisher,  the  librarian  and  the 
general  reader.     1912.     S.  Paul.    6s.  net. 
In  spite  of  the  title  the  viewpoint  is  that  of  the  librarian. 

Prideaux,    S.   T.    Historical    sketch   of   bookbindings.     1893. 

Lawrence,  London.    $1.50  net. 
Sawyer,  H.  P.    How  to  care  for  books  in  a  library.     1912. 

Democrat  Printing  Co.,  Madison,  Wis.    $.10. 

A  good  article  on  mending. 

Society  of  arts.     Report  of  the  Committee  on  leathers  for 

bookbinding.     1905.    Bell.     IDS.  6d. 
Stephen,    G.    A.    Commercial    bookbinding.     1910.     Stonhill, 

London.    25.  6d. 

The  best  book  on  this  subject. 

.    Machine    book-sewing.     1908.    Aberdeen    University 

Press. 

Reprinted  from  the  Library  association  record,  June   1908. 

Notes  on  materials  for  library  bookbinding.     Li- 


brary Assistant,  1905-7,  5:143-6,  162-4. 

Swezey,  A.  D.    Binding  records.    Public  Libraries,  1909,  14 : 
5-7- 

Worcester    (Mass.)    County  law   library.    Leather  preserva- 
tion.    1911. 
— .     A  small  binding  plant  in  the  building.     1912. 

Zaehnsdorf,    Joseph.     Bookbinding.     Macmillan.    $1.50. 

Zahn,  Otto.    On  art  binding.     1904.    Toof  &  Co.,  Memphis. 
$1.50. 
By  a  well  known  artistic  bookbinder. 


APPENDIX  C 

LIST  OF  TECHNICAL  TERMS 

In  this  list  terms  relating  to  paper,  to  materials 
described  in  the  body  of  this  work  and  to  historical 
bindings,  and  terms  seldom  used  have  been  omitted. 

Acid  free  leather.  Leather  which  is  manufactured 
without  using  acid.  As  interpreted  by  some  dealers,  it 
means  leather  from  which  all  acid  has  been  removed. 

Aldine  style.  Decorative  design  consisting  of  solid 
face  ornaments  without  shading.  First  used  by  Aldus 
and  other  early  Italian  printers. 

Ail-along.  In  hand-sewing  when  the  thread  passes 
from  kettlestitch  to  kettlestitch  in  each  signature  it  is 
sewed  ail-along. 

Antique.     See  Blind-tooled. 

Arabesque.  Decorative  design  consisting  of  many  in- 
terwoven lines  and  curves  arranged  in  conventional  pat- 
terns. Sometimes  applied  to  a  design  consisting  of 
interwoven  plants,  animals,  birds,  etc. 

Arming  press.    See  Blocking  press. 

Asterisk.  This  well  known  sign  is  sometimes  used  to 
indicate  that  the  printed  matter  on  which  it  appears  is 
to  take  the  place  of  pages  previously  printed. 

Awl.     See  Bodkin. 

Azure  tools.  Tools  with  a  series  of  horizontal  lines 
parallel  on  their  faces. 

Back  lining.  Cloth  or  paper  glued  to  the  back  of  a 
book  to  help  hold  the  signatures  together. 

Backing.  Forcing  over  the  folds  on  each  side  at  the 
back  to  form  grooves  into  which  boards  fit,  forming  the 
joint. 


226  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

Backing  boards.  Used  for  backing  or  forming  the 
joint.  Made  of  hardwood  sometimes  faced  with  iron. 
Have  a  beveled  edge,  over  which  the  paper  is  forced  by 
hammering  and  are  thicker  at  this  edge  than  at  the  other, 
so  that  when  placed  one  on  each  side  of  the  book  and 
all  are  placed  in  the  lying  press,  the  power  of  the  press 
is  brought  to  bear  on  the  part  of  the  book  nearest  the 
'back. 

Backing  hammer.  Has  a  broad,  flat  face  and  short 
handle.  Used  in  rounding  and  backing. 

Backing  machine.  Machine  run  by  power  used  in 
edition  work  for  backing  books. 

Backing  press.  A  press  having  vertical  steel  plates 
brought  together  with  a  screw.  When  the  book  is  placed 
in  it  with  the  back  slightly  projecting  it  can  be  backed  in 
exactly  the  same  way  as  if  backing  boards  were  used. 

Band-driver.  Used  in  forwarding  to  eliminate  irregu- 
larities of  raised  bands. 

Band  nipper.  Pincers  used  after  leather  has  been  put 
on  over  raised  bands  in  order  to  straighten  them. 

Banding.    Decorating  by  means  of  horizontal  stripes. 

Bark  skiver.    Tanned  with  oak  bark. 

Bastard  title.    See  Half  title. 

Beading.  Small  twist  or  roll  formed  when  winding 
the  cotton  or  silk  in  head-banding. 

Beating.  Process  of  flattening  and  smoothing  out  the 
folded  sheets  to  make  the  leaves  lie  closely  together. 

Beating  hammer.  Heavy,  short-handled  hammer  used 
for  beating  books  to  make  the  leaves  lie  closely  together. 

Beating  stone.  Stone  or  iron  bed  on  which  books 
are  beaten. 

Beveled  boards.  Heavy  boards  with  beveled  edges, 
sometimes  used  for  the  sides  of  very  heavy  or  large  books. 

Binder,  i.  Case  used  for  the  temporary  protection  of 
pamphlets  and  periodicals.  Can  be  detached  and  used  on 
succeeding  numbers.  2.  One  whose  business  it  is  to  bind 
books.  ' 


APPENDIX  227 

Binder's  title.  Title  lettered  on  the  back  of  a  book. 
Frequently  differs  from  that  on  the  title  page. 

Binder's  board.     See  Boards. 

Binding  slip.  Sheet  of  paper  containing  instructions 
to  the  binder  inserted  in  each  book  sent  to  the  bindery. 

Blanks.  Books  with  blank  leaves  of  good  paper  used 
for  keeping  records  which  are  more  or  less  permanent. 
The  binding  of  such  books  is  a  special  trade. 

Bleed.  When  books  are  trimmed  so  that  part  of  the 
print  is  cut  off  they  are  said  to  bleed. 

Blind-tooled.  Books  on  which  impressions  have  been 
made  by  tools  without  the  use  of  gilt  are  blind-tooled. 
Sometimes  called  "Antique"  tooling. 

Block.  The  solid  metal  stamp  used  for  impressing 
a  design  on  a  book  cover. 

Blocking.  Stamping  the  design  in  gold  or  other  ma- 
terial on  book  covers. 

Blocking  press.  Used  in  stamping  designs  on  cloth 
book  covers  or  back.  Known  also  as  stamping  press  and 
arming  press. 

Board  papers.  The  parts  of  end  papers  pasted  to 
the  boards. 

Board  shears.  Heavy  shears  with  a  gauge,  for  cut- 
ting boards  for  the  sides  of  books. 

Boards.  Boards  for  the  sides  of  books  are  called 
cloth  board,  binder's  board,  mill  board,  tar  board.  They 
are  called  boards  in  the  full  size  and  also  when  cut  for 
sides. 

Bodkin.  An  awl  used  for  punching  holes  in  boards 
through  which  the  bands  are  laced. 

Body.  Main  part  of  the  book,  from  Chapter  I  to 
the  end  of  the  text. 

Bolt.  The  folded  edge  of  signatures  at  the  head,  fore 
edge  and  tail  of  books. 

Book  card,  or  Book  slip.  Card  kept  in  the  book, 
used  in  charging  the  book  when  it  is  borrowed. 

Book  label.    See  Label. 


228  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

Book  pocket.  A  pocket  made  of  paper,  generally 
pasted  on  the  last  fly-leaf  to  hold  the  book  card  when 
the  book  is  on  the  shelf,  or  to  hold  the  reader's  card 
when  the  book  is  borrowed. 

Bosses.  Metal  ornaments  fastened  on  the  boards  of 
books. 

Broken,  i.  Paper  folded  over.  2.  The  back  of  a  book 
which  has  been  cracked  open  from  head  to  tail  is  broken. 

Broken  up  (or  over).  Plates  are  broken  up  when 
they  are  folded  over  a  short  distance  from  the  back  before 
being  placed  in  the  book. 

Burnish.  The  gloss  produced  by  the  application  of  a 
burnisher  to  the  edges  of  a  book. 

Burnisher.  Piece  of  agate  or  blood-stone  set  in 
handles  and  used  to  produce  a  gloss  on  the  edges  of 
books. 

Calendered  paper.  Paper  with  a  highly  polished  sur- 
face. 

Cancels.  Leaves  containing  errors  which  are  to  be 
replaced  with  corrected  pages.  The  replacements  are 
frequently  marked  with  an  asterisk. 

Canvas.     Same  as  duck.     See  page  80. 

Caps.  Coverings  which  protect  the  edges  of  books 
during  the  processes  of  covering  and  finishing. 

Case.  i.  A  cover  for  a  book  made  independently  of 
the  book,  i.  e.  the  boards  are  not  laced  in.  2.  Cover 
made  to  fit  over  book  already  bound  in  order  to  protect  it. 

Case  bindings.  Books  in  which  the  boards  and  cov- 
ering materials  are  made  into  a  case  and  the  book  glued 
into  it.  Term  generally  applied  to  commercial  work, 
which  is  practically  all  done  by  machinery. 

Casing-in.  The  operation  of  putting  a  sewed  and  for- 
warded book  into  its  case. 

Catchword.  In  old  books  and  in  a  few  modern  books 
the  first  word  of  a  page  is  printed  under  the  last  line  on 
the  preceding  page.  This  is  called  the  catchword. 


APPENDIX  229 

Center  tools.  Specially-cut  tools  for  ornamenting  the 
centers  of  panels. 

Circuit  edges.  Projecting  flexible  covers  turned  over 
to  protect  the  leaves  of  the  book.  Used  almost  wholly  on 
Bibles  and  prayer  books.  Sometimes  called  divinity 
edges. 

Clasp.  A  catch  for  fastening  the  covers  of  a  book 
together. 

Clearing-out.  The  process  of  removing  the  waste 
paper  and  paring  away  superfluous  leather  on  the  inside 
of  the  covers  before  pasting  down  end  papers. 

Cloth  boards,  i.  Boards  covered  with  cloth.  2. 
Boards  used  for  the  sides  are  sometimes  called  cloth 
boards  instead  of  mill  boards. 

Collation.  An  examination  of  a  book  to  see  if  it  is 
complete.  May  be  done  by  signatures  before  book  is 
bound.  Must  be  done  page  by  page  in  books  which  are 
to  be  rebound. 

Combs.  An  instrument  with  wire  teeth  used  in 
marbling. 

Compensating  guards.  Short  stubs  bound  in  the  back 
to  equalize  space  taken  up  by  thick  folded  plates. 

Creaser.  The  tool  used  in  marking  on  each  side  of 
raised  bands.  Generally  made  of  steel. 

Cropped.  Term  applied  to  books  which  have  been 
trimmed  too  much. 

Crushed.  Term  applied  to  leather,  generally  mo- 
rocco, which  has  been  pressed  so  that  the  surface,  natur- 
ally grained,  is  made  smooth. 

Cut  edges.     See  Edges  cut. 

Cut  flush.  In  very  cheap  binding  the  book  is  trimmed 
after  the  cover  is  on  and  edges  of  boards  are  cut  flush 
with  the  leaves. 

Cutter,  or  Cutting  machine.  A  machine  used  for 
trimming  the  edges  of  books.  Sometimes  called  guillo- 
tine. 


16 


230  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

Cutting  boards.  Boards  similar  to  backing  boards, 
except  that  they  are  not  beveled.  Used  in  trimming. 

Cutting  in  boards.     See  In  boards. 

Cutting  press.  The  "lying  press"  turned  over  so  that 
the.  runners  are  uppermost. 

Deckle  edge.  The  rough  untrimmed  edge  of  hand- 
made paper. 

Dentelle.  A  form  of  book  ornament  which  sup- 
posedly represents  lace. 

Derome.  A  style  of  ornament  having  dentelle  border 
with  small  birds  among  the  arabesques. 

Diaper.  A  form  of  ornament  consisting  of  a  small 
pattern  repeated  in  geometrical  form. 

Divinity  calf.  Dark  brown  calfskin  blind-stamped 
and  without  gilding,  formerly  used  in  binding  religious 
books. 

Divinity  edges.     See  Circuit  edges. 

Die.     An  engraved  stamp  used  for  stamping  a  design. 

Double.     See  Doublure. 

Doubled.  A  design  is  doubled  when  the  finisher  tries 
to  make  a  second  impression  and  the  tool  does  not  quite 
follow  the  lines  of  the  first  impression. 

Doublure.  The  lined  and  decorated  inside  face  of 
boards  on  fine  bindings.  When  so  lined  the  cover  is 
said  to  be  "double." 

Dummy,  i.  A  book  made  up  of  blank  leaves  to  show 
style  of  binding  and  grade  of  workmanship.  2.  A  piece 
of  leather  or  cloth  mounted  on  a  board  to  show  exact 
size  and  lettering  of  a  periodical. 

Duodecimo.  Book  printed  on  paper  folded  into  twelve 
leaves.  Generally  written  iamo.  Loosely  applied  to 
books  from  six  to  eight  inches  high. 

Dutch  metal.  An  imitation  of  gold  leaf  which  soon 
tarnishes. 

Edges  cut.  A  book  which  has  all  edges  trimmed 
smooth. 


APPENDIX  231 

Edges  gilt.     All  edges  trimmed  smooth  and  gilded. 

Edges  opened.  A  book  which  has  the  folds  of  leaves 
cut  by  hand  with  a  paper  knife,  has  its  edges  opened. 

Edges  rolled.  The  edges  of  the  covers  are  marked 
with  a  roll. 

Edges  trimmed.  Edges  cut  somewhat,  but  not  enough 
to  cut  all  the  folds. 

Edges  uncut.  Uncut  edges  have  not  been  trimmed  in 
any  way,  though  they  may  have  been  opened  with  a  paper 
knife. 

Edition  de  luxe.  Fine  editions  of  books  printed  on 
large  paper  and  handsomely  bound.  Many  books  so- 
called  are  in  reality  cheaply  bound. 

Eighteenmo.  A  book  printed  on  paper  folded  into 
eighteen  leaves.  Not  often  found. 

Elephant  folio.     See  Folio. 

Embossing.  The  process  of  producing  raised  designs 
by  means  of  stamps.  Used  in  imitating  leathers. 

End  papers.  Folded  sheets  at  the  beginning  and  end 
of  books,  half  of  which  are  pasted  to  the  boards.  Some- 
time^s  called  lining  papers. 

Eve  style.  Decorative  design  consisting  of  geo- 
metrical figures  joined  by  interlaced  circles.  The  figures 
contain  flowers  and  the  space  surrounding  them  contains 
scroll  work  and  branches  of  laurel  and  palm. 

Extra  binding.     Trade  term  for  the  best  work. 

Fanfare  style.  Leafy  spirals  interwoven  with  a  deli- 
cate tracery  over  the  cover. 

Fast.  Colors  are  fast  to  sunlight  if  they  do  not  fade; 
to  water  if  they  do  not  wash  off. 

Fillet,  i.  Plain  lines  stamped  upon  the  back  or  cover 
of  the  book.  2.  The  tool  with  which  the  work  is  done. 

Filling.     See  Weft. 

Finishing,  i.  All  processes  after  the  book  leaves  the 
hand  of  the  forwarder  are  known  as  finishing  processes. 
2.  The  ornaments  stamped  on  a  book. 


232  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

Finishing  press.  .A  small  wooden  press  with  wooden 
screws  which  holds  a  book  with  the  back  up. 

Finishing  stove.  A  small  gas  or  electric  stove  used 
for  heating  finishing  tools. 

Flexible.  A  form  of  binding  in  which  the  book  is 
sewed  on  raised  bands,  the  thread  being  passed  entirely 
around  the  bands. 

Flush  cut.     See  Cut  flush. 

Fly  leaves.  Blank  leaves  at  the  beginning  and  end  of 
the  book  between  end  papers  and  the  book  itself. 

Folder,  i.  Small  flat  piece  of  bone  used  in  folding 
sheets  and  in  other  binding  processes.  3.  Person  engaged 
in  folding  sheets. 

Folding  machines.     Power  machine  for  folding  sheets. 

Folio,  i.  A  book  printed  on  paper  folded  in  two 
leaves — four  pages.  Loosely  applied  to  books  over  fifteen 
inches  high.  Very  large  books  are  sometimes  called 
elephant  folios.  2.  Consecutive  page  numbers  of  a  book. 

Fore-edge.     The  front  edge  of  the  leaves  of  a  book. 

Font.  The  complete  number  of  letters,  figures,  etc., 
forming  a  set  of  type. 

Format.     Size  and  shape  of  a  book. 

Forwarding.  I.  All  processes  between  sewing  and 
finishing.  2.  The  department  which  takes  charge  of 
books  during  these  processes.  Those  who  work  in  it  are 
called  forwarders. 

Foxed.  Books  having  leaves  stained  by  dampness  are 
said  to  be  foxed. 

French  guard.  The  back  edge  of  an  illustration  turned 
over  and  folded  around  the  adjoining  signature. 

French  joint.  Joint  formed  by  setting  the  boards  a 
short  distance  away  from  the  back.  See  page  46. 

French  morocco.  A  very  inferior  quality  of  levant 
morocco.  Many  skins  so-called  are  sheep  skins  or  cow- 
hide. 

Frontispiece.     Illustration  facing  the  title  page. 

Full-bound.     Term  applies  to  books  entirely  covered, 


APPENDIX  233 

back  and  sides,  with  the  same  material,  whether  cloth  or 
leather. 

Gascon  style.  The  distinguishing  characteristic  of  this 
style  of  decoration  is  that  dotted  lines  are  used  instead  of 
lines  which  are  continuous. 

Gathering.  Collecting  the  folded  sheets,  or  signa- 
tures, in  the  order  in  which  they  are  bound. 

Gaufre  edges.  Edges  which  have  had  impressions 
made  by  finishing  tools  after  the  edges  have  been  gilded. 

Gauge.  A  tool  used  for  obtaining  the  correct  size  of 
a  volume  in  order  to  mark  it  on  boards  for  squaring. 

Gilding  press.     Same  as  the  finishing  press. 

Gilt  edge.     See  Edges  gilt. 

Gilt  tops.     Top   edges  gilded. 

Glaire.  A  liquid  made  by  beating  whites  of  eggs. 
Used  in  lettering  and  gilding.  See  page  195. 

Goffered  edges.     See  Gaufre  edges. 

Gold  cushion.  Leather  cushion  on  which  the  finisher 
cuts  gold  leaf. 

Gold  knife.  A  long  straight  knife  used  in  cutting 
gold  leaf. 

Gold  leaf.  Gold  beaten  very  thin,  used  for  lettering 
and  gilding. 

Gouge.  A  finishing  tool  used  to  stamp  the  segment 
of  a  circle  on  a  book. 

Grain.  The  outer  surface  of  a  piece  of  leather  from 
which  the  hair  has  been  removed.  Generally  used  with 
adjectives  which  indicate  the  appearance  of  the  grain  in 
question. 

Graining,  i.  Process  of  "bringing  up"  the  natural 
grain  of  leather  by  artificial  means.  2.  Process  of  em- 
bossing leather  to  produce  a  fictitious  grain. 

Grater.  Tool  used  for  rubbing  backs  after  they  are 
paste-washed. 

Grolier.  An  elaborate  style  of  ornament  consisting 
of  scroll  work  with  interwoven  squares,  circles  and  dia- 
monds, parts  of  the  design  being  studded  with  gold  dots. 


234  LIBRARY    BOOKBINDING 

Grooves.  Projections  at  the  back  against  which 
boards  rest  to  form  the  joint.  Made  by  the  backing 
.hammer.  Sometimes  called  joints. 

Guards,  i.  Narrow  strips  of  paper  bound  in  books 
to  which  plates  or  leaves  are  attached  later.  2.  Narrow 
strips  of  cloth  or  paper  used  to  reinforce  the  folds  of 
signatures,  or  pasted  to  single  leaves  and  folded  around 
adjoining  signatures. 

Guides.  The  grooves  in  which  the  plough  moves  on 
the  face  of  the  cutting  press. 

Guillotine.     See  Cutter,  or  Cutting  machine. 

Half-bound.  Term  indicating  that  leather  is  used  on 
the  back,  with  cloth  or  paper  on  the  sides.  If  small 
pieces  of  leather  are  placed  on  the  corners  the  book  is 
still  half-bound.  If  the  corner  pieces  are  large  the  book 
is  three-quarters  bound. 

Half-title.  Brief  title  on  the  leaf  preceding  the  main 
title  page.  Also  called  Bastard  title. 

Hand  letters.  Single  letters  affixed  to  handles  and 
used  in  lettering. 

Head.     The  top  of  the  back  of  the  book. 

Headband.  A  silk  or  cotton  band  attached  to  the 
head  of  the  book  to  strengthen  it,  improve  its  appearance, 
and  make  the  back  even  in  thickness  with  the  boards. 

Head  cap.     Fold  of  leather  over  the  headband. 

Heel-ball.  Shoemaker's  preparation  of  wax  used  for 
taking  rubbings  of  the  backs  of  books. 

Holeing.  Piercing  the  boards  with  an  awl  so  that 
bands  can  be  laced-in. 

Hollow  back.     See  Loose  back. 

Imperfections.  In  commercial  binderies,  sheets  re- 
jected because  imperfect. 

In  boards,  i.  Term  used  when  books  are  cut  after 
boards  have  been  attached.  2.  Style  of  binding  which 
has  a  very  narrow  cloth  back  and  paper  covered  sides. 

In  print.     Obtainable  from  the  publishers. 

India-rubbered.  When  the  backs  of  books  consisting 
of  single  leaves  are  covered  with  a  solution  of  india 


APPENDIX  235 

rubber  instead  of  being  sewed  they  are  said  to  be  India- 
rubbered.  Not  practicable  for  permanent  bindings. 

Inlaid.  The  cover  of  a  book  bound  in  leather  in 
which  leather  of  a  different  kind  or  color  has  been  inlaid. 

In  quires.     Unbound  books  in  sheets. 

Inset.     A  folded  sheet  laid  inside  of  another. 

In  sheets.  A  book  is  said  to  be  in  sheets  before  it 
has  been  bound,  whether  the  sheets  are  folded  or  not. 

Inside  margin.  The  border  made  by  the  turned-in 
leather  on  the  inside  face  of  the  boards. 

Inside  tins.  Sheets  of  tin  sometimes  placed  in  books 
which  are  to  receive  heavy  pressure. 

Jansen  style.  A  style  of  decoration  in  which  the 
book  is  absolutely  plain  on  the  outside  except  for  letter- 
ing. The  inside  covers,  however,  may  be  elaborately 
decorated. 

Joints.  The  part  of  the  book  which  bends  when  the 
book  is  opened.  See  also  Grooves;  French  joint. 

Kettlestitch.  The  stitch  made  at  the  head  and  tail 
of  the  book  fastening  a  signature  at  these  points  to  the 
preceding  signature. 

Keys.  Small  metal  objects  which  fasten  the  bands  to 
*he  under  side  of  the  sewing  bench. 

Kip  calf.  Made  from  the  skin  of  a  heifer.  Stronger 
han  calfskin. 

Knocking-down  iron.  Iron  plate  on  which  books  are 
>laced  when  it  is  necessary  to  hammer  down  the  ends  of 
',aced-in  bands  to  prevent  them  from  showing. 

Label.  A  piece  of  paper  or  leather  affixed  to  the 
Sack  of  a  book  on  which  to  letter  information. 

Lacing-in.  Process  of  attaching  the  ends  of  bands  to 
cards  through  holes  made  with  an  awl.  See  page  42. 

Large-paper  edition.  Copies  of  a  book  printed  on 
iaper  with  wide  margins. 

Laying  press.     See  Lying  press. 

Law  sheep.     Uncolored  sheepskin.     So-called  because 


236  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

at   one   time    it   was    generally   used   on    law   books.     See 
page  65. 

Lay  cords.  The  bands  when  stretched  on  the  sewing 
bench  ready  for  the  signatures. 

Leatherette.  Imitation  leather,  generally  made  of 
cloth. 

Lettering  block.  A  dummy  book  made  of  wood  on 
which  leather  labels  that  are  to  be  lettered  are  placed  for 
greater  ease  in  gilding. 

Lettering  box.  That  part  of  the  pallet  in  which  type 
is  screwed  up  before  lettering. 

Limp  leather.  Books  bound  in  full  leather  without 
stiff  boards  are  said  to  be  bound  in  limp  leather. 

Lining  papers.     See  End  papers. 

Loose  back.  Books  are  loose  backed  when  the  cover- 
ing material  is  not  glued  to  the  "back,  but  springs  out 
when  the*  book  is^  opened.  Called  "hollow  back"  in 
England. 

Lying  press.  The  under  side  of  the  cutting  press 
used  in  backing.  Sometimes  called  laying  press. 

Magazine  binder.     See  Binder. 

Maloli  style.  Decoration  formed  of  shields  or  medal- 
lions with  scroll  work  running  through  them. 

Marbled  calf.  Calfskin  treated  with  acid  so  that  it 
resembles  marble. 

Marbling.  Process  of  staining  the  paper  or  the  edges 
of  books  with  colors  irregularly  combined,  similar  to  the 
irregular  colorings  and  markings  in  marble. 

Marker.  Piece  of  ribbon  fastened  to  the  headband 
and  used  as  a  book  mark.  Also  called  Register. 

Marking-up.  Marking  the  position  of  the  cords  on 
the  back. 

Millboard.     See  Boards. 

Millboard  machine.  Used  for  cutting  and  squaring 
boards. 

Mitred.  Term  indicating  that  lines  in  finishing  meet- 
ing each  other  at  right  angles,  continue  but  do  not  over- 
run each  other. 


APPENDIX  237 

Mosaic  binding.  A  leather  binding  ornamented  by 
designs  made  of  inlaid  pieces  of  leather  or  other  material 
of  different  colors. 

Mottled  calf.  Light  brown  calf  treated  with  acid  to 
give  it  a  mottled  appearance. 

Mull.     See  Super. 

Octavo.  Book  printed  on  paper  folded  into  eight 
leaves.  Usually  written  8vo.  Loosely  used  to  indicate 
that  the  size  of  a  book  is  between  eight  and  ten  inches 
in  height. 

Off  and  on.  Term  used  in  machine  sewing,  meaning 
that  certain  stitches  in  each  signature  are  skipped. 

Off-set.  Marks  made  on  opposite  page  because  the 
printer's  ink  had  not  become  thoroughly  dry.  In  case 
of  illustrations  tissue  paper  is  frequently  inserted  to 
prevent  this.  Also  called  set-off. 

Opened  edges.     See  Edges  opened. 

Out  of  boards.  A  book  trimmed  before  the  boards 
have  been  fastened  to  it. 

Out  of  print.     Not  obtainable  from  the  publishers. 

Overcasting.  Process  of  sewing  single  leaves  over 
and  over.  Also  called  whipstitching.  See  page  23. 

Pallet.  A  tool  used  in  lettering  having  an  adjustable 
box  for  holding  type  securely,  with  a  handle  attached. 

Panel,  i.  Space  between  raised  bands,  or  between 
stamped  lines  on  the  back.  2.  A  square  or  rectangular 
space  on  the  side  of  a  book,  whether  sunken  or  enclosed 
by  beveled  edges  or  gilded  lines. 

Papering-up.  Covering  the  leaves  of  a  book,  espe- 
cially if  it  has  gilded  edges,  to  protect  it  during  further 
processes. 

Parchment.  A  material  similar  to  vellum,  but  not  so 
thick. 

Paring.  Process  of  thinning  the  edges  of  leather 
with  a  sharp  knife,  so  that  there  will  not  be  a  rough  edge 
when  it  is  on  the  book.  Sometimes  called  skiving. 

Pastewash.    Paste  diluted  with  water. 

17 


238  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

Pasting-down.  Operation  of  pasting  end  papers  to 
the  boards. 

Payne,  Roger.  Style  of  decoration  distinguished  by 
gold-tooled  corner  pieces  and  by  the  grace  and  freedom 
of  ornamentation. 

Pebble-grained.  Covering  material  grained  in  an 
irregular  manner. 

Pegamoid.    An    imitation    leather    made    in    England. 

Perforating  machine.  A  machine  which  punches  holes 
in  sections  so  that  they  can  be  more  easily  overcast. 

Petits  fers.  Small  hand  tools  used  in  finishing,  as 
distinguished  from  the  stamps  or  blocks  used  in  a  press. 

Pieced.  Any  space  on  the  cover  of  a  book  which  has 
a  piece  of  another  material  attached  to  it.  Most  often 
used  to  mean  leather  which  is  used  as  labels  for  titles; 
also  called  titled. 

Plate,  i.  Illustration  printed  from  a  plate.  The  term 
is  often  used  incorrectly  for  wood  cuts.  2.  In  library 
usage  any  full-page  illustration  not  paged-in. 

Plough.     A  tool  used  for  trimming  books. 

Pluviusin.     An  imitation  leather  made  in   England. 

Pocket.  An  envelope  made  of  paper  or  cardboard 
generally  attached  to  the  inside  of  the  back  cover  and 
used  to  hold  loose  maps  or  plates.  See  also  Book  pocket. 

Pointille  style.  A  form  of  decoration  in  which  the 
design  is  marked  with  small  dots  or  points. 

Points.  Holes  made  in  sheets  during  the  process  of 
printing  which  serve  as  guides  in  registering  and  folding. 

Polisher.  A  steel  tool  used  to  give  a  gloss  to  leather 
after  finishing. 

Portfolio.  A  case  made  for  holding  loose  plates  or 
maps. 

Powder,  Sem6.  A  form  of  decoration  in  which  a 
small  figure  is  repeated  regularly. 

Preliminary  matter.  Half  title,  title,  table  of  con- 
tents and  preface,  and  all  other  matter  preceding  the  main 
part  of  the  book. 


APPENDIX  239 

Press  pin.  An  iron  bar  used  to  turn  the  screws  of 
standing  presses. 

Presses.  For  various  kinds  see  Lying  press;  Cutting 
press;  Finishing  press;  Blocking  press. 

Pressing  boards.  Wooden  boards  placed  between 
books  in  the  standing  press.  Brass  strips  which  project 
over  the  edges  of  the  board  fit  into  the  grooves  of  the 
joint. 

Pressing  plates.  Japanned  or  nickeled  plates,  which, 
when  placed  next  to  leather  bindings  under  heavy  pres- 
sure give  them  a  finish. 

Pulled.  A  book  taken  from  its  cover  and  the  signa- 
tures separated  is  said  to  be  pulled. 

Puppy.  The  specially  prepared  rubber  used  to  remove 
superfluous  gold  leaf  from  a  book  is  sometimes  called  the 
puppy. 

Quarto.  A  book  printed  on  paper  folded  into  four 
leaves  (eight  pages).  Generally  written  4to.  Loosely 
applied  to  books  between  ten  and  fifteen  inches  high. 

Quire.    Twenty-four  sheets. 

Raised  bands.    See  Bands. 

Re-casing.  Replacing  a  book  in  its  original  cover, 
either  with  or  without  resewing. 

Recto.     Right  hand  page  of  an  open  book. 

Register,  i.  Ribbon  attached  to  a  book  to  be  used 
as  a  book  mark.  2.  Term  indicating  that  the  print  on 
the  verso  falls  exactly  over  that  on  the  recto. 

Rexine.     An  imitation  leather  made  in  England. 

Roll.  Finishing  tool  with  brass  wheel  having  a  design 
on  the  circumference.  Used  in  decorating  leather  bound 
books. 

Rolled  edges.     See  Edges  rolled. 

Rolling  machine.  Used  in  publisher's  binding  to 
press  the  leaves  firmly  together. 

Roulette  border.     Border  design  made  with  a  roll. 

Rounding  hammer.     Heavy  hammer  used  in  rounding. 

Roundlet.  Small  circle  in  gold  used  in  decorating 
books. 


240  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

Roxburgh  binding.  Plain  leather  backed  book,  letter- 
ing near  the  top  enclosed  in  gold  lines,  gilt  top,  and 
cloth  or  paper  sides. 

Rub-off,  or  Rubbing.  A  copy  of  the  back  of  a  book 
showing  exact  lettering.  Made  by  placing  a  sheet  of  thin 
strong  paper  on  the  back  and  rubbing  it  with  a  piece  of 
heel-ball  until  all  lettering  is  fully  outlined. 

Run-up.  The  back  of  a  book  with  a  fillet  from  head 
to  tail  not  mitred  at  the  bands  is  said  to  be  run-up. 

Running  title.  Short  title  of  a  book  or  chapter 
appearing  at  the  head  of  the  page  throughout  the  book  or 
chapter. 

Saddle  stitching.  A  machine  process  which  either 
sews  or  staples  pamphlets  of  one  signature. 

Sawing-in.  Sawing  the  back  of  a  book  to  make 
grooves  in  which  the  bands  will  rest  when  the  book  is 
sewed. 

Section.     See  Signature. 

Seme.     See  Powder. 

Set-off.    See  Off-set. 

Setting  the  headband.  Adjusting  the  leather  so  that 
it  covers  the  headband  with  a  kind  of  cap. 

Sewer.  The  person  who  sews  the  signatures  to- 
gether on  a  sewing  bench  to  form  a  book. 

Sewing  bench.  A  board  about  two  feet  long  having 
at  each  end  on  the  front  edge  an  upright.  These  are 
connected  by  a  bar  which  is  adjustable  in  height  and 
between  which  and  the  board  are  stretched  the  bands 
or  tapes  on  which  the  book  is  sewed. 

Sextodecimo.     See  Sixteenmo. 

Shears.     See  Board  shears. 

Sheets  in.     See  In  sheets. 

Signature,  i.  The  letter  or  figure  on  the  first  page 
of  each  folded  sheet  to  ensure  its  proper  place  in  the 
book  when  bound.  2.  The  folded  sheet  itself.  Often 
called  section. 

Sixteenmo.  A  book  printed  on  sheets  folded  into 
sixteen  leaves.  Generally  written  :6mo. 


APPENDIX  241 

Size.     A  preparation  used  in  gilding  and  finishing. 

Skiving.     See  Paring. 

Slips.  The  pieces  of  bands  or  tapes  projecting  be- 
yond the  book  after  it  is  sewed. 

Smooth  calf.     Plain,  undecorated  calf. 

Split  boards,  i.  Boards  split  at  the  edge  to  admit 
slips  and  backlining.  2.  Boards  made  of  two  boards 
glued  together,  leaving  a  space  for  insertion  of  slips  and 
backlining. 

Sprinkled  calf.  Calf  treated  with  acid  so  that  it  looks 
as  if  it  had  been  sprinkled  with  dye. 

Sprinkled  edges.  Edges  which  have  been  colored  by 
shaking  or  spraying  coloring  matter  on  them. 

Squares.  The  parts  of  the  board  projecting  beyond 
the  edges  of  the  leaves  of  the  book. 

Stabbing,  i.  Process  of  fastening  together  the  signa- 
tures of  a  pamphlet  with  wire.  2.  Piercing  the  boards 
for  lacing-in. 

Stabbed.  A  pamphlet  is  said  to  be  stabbed  when  the 
signatures  are  held  together  by  wire  staples  driven  in 
vertically  near  the  back  and  clinched  on  the  other  side. 

Stamping  press.     See  Blocking  press. 

Stamps.  Blocks  or  dies  used  to  impress  designs  upon 
leather. 

Standing  press.  A  large  fixed  press  capable  of  hold- 
ing many  books. 

Start.  Sections  which  after  cutting  project  beyond 
the  others,  are  said  to  have  started. 

Steamboating.  Cutting  a  number  of  books  at  the 
same  time. 

Stitching.  Process  of  sewing  signatures  lengthwise 
with  a  sewing  machine.  See  also  Saddle  stitching. 

Strawboard.  Very  soft  paper  board  easily  broken 
or  cut.  Sometimes  used  in  cheap  work. 

Super.  A  thin,  coarsely  woven  cotton  cloth  used  for 
backlining.  Called  mull  in  England. 

Tacky.     Glue  that  is  still  sticky  but  not  wet  is  tacky. 

Tail.     The  bottom  of  the  back  of  the  book. 


242  LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 

Tar  board.    See  Boards. 

Thirty-twomo.  A  book  printed  on  sheets  folded  into 
thirty-two  leaves.  Written  321110. 

Three-quarters  bound.     See  Half-bound. 

Thrown  out.  Folded  maps  or  diagrams  which  arc 
likely  to  be  used  a  great  deal  can  be  mounted  on  cloth 
guards  the  width  of  the  book.  When  opened  they  will 
be  entirely  outside  the  book  and  are  said  to  be  thrown 
out. 

Tight  back.  A  book  on  which  the  covering  material 
is  glued  to  the  back.  See  page  44. 

Title.  Space  between  the  bands  upon  which  the  title 
is  lettered. 

Title  skiver.  Very  thin  skiver  used  as  labels  on  which 
to  gild  lettering. 

Titled.     See  Pieced. 

Tooling.  The  decoration  of  leather  made  by  stamp- 
ing designs  in  gold  leaf  upon  it. 

Tools.     Brass  stamps  used  in  tooling. 

Top  gilt.  Indicates  that  only  the  top  edge  of  the 
book  is  gilded. 

Tree  calf.  Imitation  of  the  trunk  and  branches  of  a 
tree  made  with  acid  on  the  sides  of  a  book  bound  in  full 
calf. 

Trimmed,  i.  Books  which  have  only  the  edges  of 
projecting  leaves,  not  the  folds,  cut  off  are  said  to  be 
trimmed.  2.  In  library  binding  the  term  generally  means 
that  all  edges  have  been  trimmed  even. 

Trindle.  A  small  tool  used  to  take  out  the  round  of 
a  book  when  it  is  being  cut. 

Tub.  Stand  supporting  the  lying  press.  Formerly  a 
tub  used  to  catch  the  paper  cut  from  the  edges. 

Turning  up.  When  books  are  cut  in  boards  it  is 
necessary  to  take  the  round  out  of  the  back.  The  process 
is  assisted  by  the  use  of  trindles  and  is  called  turning  up. 

Twelvemo.    See  Duodecimo. 


APPENDIX  243 

Twenty-fourmo.  A  book  having  twenty-four  leaves 
to  a  sheet. 

Two  on.    See  page  23. 

Tying  up.  When  leather  covers  are  put  on  over 
raised  bands  it  is  necessary  to  tie  them  with  twine  so 
that  the  leather  will  stick  to  the  sides  of  the  bands. 

Uncut.     See  Edges  uncut. 

Unopened.  When  the  folds  of  signatures  have  not 
been  cut  the  book  is  unopened. 

Varnish.  Bookbinder's  varnish  is  used  to  give  a  gloss 
to  leather.  It  is  claimed  that  it  acts  as  a  preservative 
also. 

Verso.     Left  hand  page  of  an  open  book. 

Warp.     The  threads  running  lengthwise  in  cloth. 

Waste  papers.  The  part  of  the  end  papers  or  fly 
leaves  which  in  some  kinds  of  work  are  removed  when 
the  end  paper  is  pasted  to  the  cover.  The  terms  end 
papers,  fly  leaves  and  waste  papers  are  used  in  different 
binderies  with  much  the  same  meaning. 

Waterproof  sheets.  Sheets  of  waterproof  cardboard 
sometimes  laid  in  or  between  books  when  pressing. 

Weft.  The  threads  running  crosswise  in  cloth.  Also 
called  woof,  and  filling. 

Whipping,  or  whipstitching.     See  Overcasting. 

Whole  bound.  Term  indicating  that  a  book  is  bound 
in  full  leather.  See  also  Full  bound. 

Wire  sewing.  Sewing  the  signatures  of  a  book  to 
cloth  by  means  of  wire  staples  driven  through  their 
centers. 

Wired.  Pamphlets  held  together  by  wire  staples 
driven  through  and  clinched  near  the  back  edge,  are  said 
to  be  wired. 

Witness.  The  leaves  of  a  book  which  show  the 
original  size  of  the  sheet,  although  other  sheets  have 
been  trimmed,  are  a  witness  to  the  fact  that  the  book  has 
not  been  cut  down. 

Woof.    See  Weft. 


INDEX 


Acid-free  leather,  58,  90 

Acids  used  in  dyeing,  effects,  57 

Adhesiyes,   167 

Advertisements,  when  to  bind,  135 

Age  of  animals,  effect  on  leather, 

S3 

Aldine  vellum,  76 
A.  L.  A.  Committee  on  Binding,  1 1 
.  Specifications  for  reinforced 

books,  109 
American  russia,  65 
Ammonia,  171 
Angora  goatskin,  69 
Arrangement  for  binding,   132 
Art  canvas,  76 

vellum,  76 

Artistic  binding,  7 
Back-lining,  34 
Backing,  33 

Backs,  loose,  mending,  181 

,  tight,  mending,  181 

,  tight  and  loose,  44 

Bands,  19 

frayed,  32 

,  number  necessary,  18,  91 

,  raised,  40 

Barbour's  thread,  85 
Bench  sewing,   10 
Bibliography  of  binding,  221 
Bids  for  binding,  u 
Binder,  instructions  for,  139 
Binders'  boards,  83 
Binders  for  magazines,  109 

ignorant  of  library  binding,  9 

Bindery  in  the  library,  209 

- — ,  equipment,  213 
Binding  before  purchase,  103 

records,   149 

routine,    157 

slip,  use  of,  139,  140 

Boards,  83 

cut,  36 

Bock,  70 

Bone  folders,  172 
Bookbinding  terms,  225 
Books,  discarding  of,   131 

,  opening  of,  122 

,  proper  care,  122 

Booksellers,       oppose       reinforced 

books,  112 
Brownie  books,  strong  binding,  113 


Brushes,  173 
Buckram,  76 
Buffing,  66 

Bureau     of     Standards,     Specifica- 
tions for  cloth,  217 

,  tests  of  cloth,  78 

Burnishing,   32 
Calfskin,  70 

vs.  cowhide,  53 

Call  number,  location  of,  143 

numbers  gilded,  39 

Canton  flannel  for  lining,  35 
Canvas,  80 

Care  of  books,   122 
Case,  making  of,  36 
Cased  books,  38 
Catechol  group,  56 
Cheesecloth,  170 

Olivers,      Cedric,     binding     from 
sheets,  103 

,  tests  of  leather,  60 

,  test  of  levant  morocco,  69 

Classic  buckram,  76 
Cleaning  cover,  177 

pages.   174 

Climate,  effect  on  leather,  54 
Cloth,   72 

boards,  83 

,  cutting  of,  36 

for  sides,  89 

,  government  specifications,  79, 

217 
,  grades  of,  75 

guards,  90 

,  manufacturers  of,  74 

,  qualities  of,  74 

,  tests  of,  78 

used  in  mending,  170 

vs.  leather,  122 

Collation,  15,  133 
Commercial  binding,  6 

—  binding,  specifications,  too 

Copying  press,  173 
Corners  of  vellum,  72 

rounded,  47 

Cost  of  binding,  5.  ".  US 

,  records  of,  152 

,  suggestions      for      reducing, 

104,    119 

Cotton  vs.  linen  thread,  85 
Covers,  how  cleaned,  177 


246 


LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 


Covers    of    periodicals,    when    to 

bind,   135 
Cowhide,  65 

for  fiction  and  juvenile,  93 

Creases,  how  removed,   175 
Creasing  for  flexibility,  25 
Crepeline,   170,   179 
Crushed  levant,  69 
Cutting  board.  174 
Dampness,  effect  on  leather,   59 
Decay  of  leather,  54 
Discarding  books,  121,  131 
Duck,  80,  90 

for  newspapers,  97 

Dummy  backs,   141 
Durabline,  81 
Embossing  leather,  57 
End  papers,    19 

papers  and  fly  leaves  pasted 

together,   31 

papers  pasted  down,  37 

papers,  quality,  85 

English  buckram,  77 
Everyman's    library,     library    edi- 
tion,  112,   129 

Eyelet  and  tape  binders,  201 
Fabrikoid,  81,  82 
Fibre-filling  preservative,  97 
Fiction,  specifications,  93 
Finishing,  39 

Flesher  for  back-lining,  35 
Flexible  glue,  82 

sewing,  40 

Fly  leaves  and  end  papers  pasted 
together,  31 

leaves  guarded,  17 

leaves  tipped  on,  17 

leaves,  renewal,  183 

Folded  plates,  guarded,  90 
Folders,  bone,   172 
Forwarding,  3 1 

Fox  marks,  how  removed,  175 
French  joints,   37,  46,  91 
Gall  nuts  for  tanning,  55 
Gas,  effect  on  leather,  58 
Gaylord  binders,  206 
Gilding,   39 

tops,  33 

Glaire,   195 
Glue,  82,  169 
,  flexible,  82 

pot,  173 

,     removed     from     back     of 

books,  15 
Gluing,  33 

for  overcasting,  17 

Goatskins,  68 

Gold  leaf,  85 
Government  cloth,  77 

cloth,  specifications,  217 

documents,  binding  of,  54,  7.7 

documents,  materials  used  in 

binding,  51 


Graining  leather,  57 
Grease  in  leather,   58 

spots,  how  removed,  177 

Guarding  fly  leaves,   17 

illustrations,    18 

signatures,   17 

Hair  sheep,  64 
Hayes'  thread,  85 
Headbands,  49 

Heat,  effect  on  leather,  59 

Hemlock  bark,  56 

Home  binderies,  209 

Huntting,     H.     R.,     Samson-back 

sewing,   113 
Illustrations  guarded,  18,  90 

mounted  on  cloth,  91 

Imitation  of  morocco,  64,  68 
Imperfect    books,    when    to    bind, 

133. 

Imperial  morocco  cloth,  81,  90 
Incomplete  volumes,  when  to  bind, 

138 
Index,  where  to  place,  134 

volumes,  lettering  of,   147 

Ink  stains,  how  removed,   176 
Instructions  to  binder,   139 
Jaconet,  17,  170 

Jayelle  water,  175 
Joint  authors,  lettering,   143 
JointSj  46 

Juvenile  books  bound  from  sheets, 
105 

books,  specifications,  93 

Keratol,  81,  82 
Kettlestitch,  22 

,  sawing  for,  18 

,  three  for  overcast  books,  27 

Knives,  172 
Knocking  down,   16 
Kraft  paper,   171 

paper  for  fly  leaves,  17 

Labeling,  process.   191 
Labels  made  of  leather,   39 

on  tight-back  books,  45 

,  removal  of,   193 

Labor,  effects  on  cost  of  binding, 

115 

Lacing-in,  38,  42 
Larch,  for  tanning,  56 
Law  books,  specifications,  98 

sheep,  65 

Leather,  52 

,  causes  of  variation  in,  53 

corners,   48 

,  decay  of,  54,  73 

,  embossed,   57 

for.  back-lining,   35 

,  imitation  of,  82 

,  kinds  of,  63 

labels,  39 

,  mechanical  qualities,  60 

,  preservation  of,  60 

vs.  cloth,  122 


INDEX 


247 


Legal  buckram,  80 
Lettering,  arrangement,   141 

by  hand.   193 

,  how  indicated,  139 

in  white  ink,   193 

,  joint  authors,  143 

,  oversized  books,   147 

— ,  pamphlets,   207 
,  periodicals,   146 

— ,  pseudonyms,  143 

— ,  thin  volumes,  147. 

,  two  books  in  one,  143 

with  type,   194 

Levant  morocco,  69 
Library  binderies,  209 

binderies,  administration,  211 

binderies,  cost  of,  214 

Library  binding,  8 
Library  buckram,  80 
Linen  buckram,  77 

finish  cloth,  76 

vs.  cotton  thread,  85 

Loose  back,  36,  44 

joints,  how  mended,   182 

leaves,  inserting,   180 

signatures,   inserting,    181 

Machine-bound  books,  6 
Magazine  binders,   199 
Making  the  case,  36 

Manila  paper,  171 

paper  for  fly  leaves,  17 

Maps,  repair  of,  183 
Materials,  51 

for  lettering,  195 

for  repairing,   167 

Mending,   16,  178 

by  binder,  90 

materials,   167 

,  rules  for,   166 

Mildew,  how  prevented,  176 
Mill-boards,  83 

Morocco,  68 

— ,  bock,  70 

,  imitation  of,  64 

,  Levant,  69 

— ,  Niger,  70 
,  Persian,  70 

— ,  Turkey,  69 
Mucilage,   169 

Music,  specifications  for,  99 
Newspapers,   specifications,  96 

— ,  wrapped  in  paper,  96 
Niger  morocco,  70 
Non-fiction,  specifications,  94 


Oak  bark,  55,  56 
bark  to 


for  pigskin,  67 
bark  for  sheepskin,  64 
Onion  skin,   171 

Overcast    books,    cut    before    sew- 
ing, 1 6 
Overcasting,  23,  25 

,  sawing  for,  19 

Oversized  books,  lettering,   147 


Pages,  cleaning  of,  174 
,  how  mended,  178 

missing,   133 

Pamphlets,  binding,  205 

,  binding  single  copies,  190 

,  lettering,  207 

Panels,   142 

,  staining  of,  39 

Paper,  effect  of  folding,   14 

,  effect  on  binding,   14 

Parker,   J.    Gordon,    on   causes    of 

decay  in  leathers,  55 
Paste,  83,    167 

,  poor,  effect  on  binding,  59 

Pasting  down,  37 

machine,  loq,  174 

Perforating  machine,  25 
Periodicals,    arrangement    of,     16, 

134 

,  binding  single  copies,    190 

,  lettering,   146 

,  specifications,    94 

,  two  volumes  in  one,   138 

,  vagaries  of,   134 

,  when     to     bind     incomplete, 

T,13? 

Persian  morocco,  70 
Plates,  folded,  guarding,  90 

,  unpaged,  where  to  place,  136 

Preparing  for  the  bindery,   125 
Press  used  in  mending,   173 
Pressjng,  38 
Pigskin,_  67 
Pluyiusin,  81 
Polished  buckram,  76 
Preservation  of  leather,  60 
Prices,  schedule  of,  118 
Printing  Investigation   Committee, 

~™ 

Processes,  13 

Pseudonyms,  lettering,   143 
Publishers'  binding,   6 

reinforced  books,  109 

reinforced  books,   failure   of, 

in 

Pyrogallol  group,  5  5 

Questions   binding  assistants   must 

ask,   125 

Raised  bands,  40 
Ratio  of  cost  to  circulation,  5 
Reading  list,  221 
Rebacking,  36 
Recasing  instead  of  rebinding,  130 

,  process.  184 

Records  for  large  libraries,  153 

of  binding,  149 

of  previous  volumes,  140,  151 

Recovering,   121 

,  process,  185 

Red  rope  manila,  171 
Reference  books,  specifications,  98 
Regular  sewing,   19 
Reinforced  books,  108,  120 


248 


LIBRARY     BOOKBINDING 


Reinforced  books,  specifications, 
109 

Reinforcing,  process,  188 

Repairing,  165 

Reports,  binding  of,  138,  205 

Reprints,  bound  before  purchase, 
119 

,  use  instead  of  rebinding,  129 

Resewed  commercial  books,  113 

Re-siding,  process,  188 

Retanning,  58 

Rexine,  81 

Roan,  65 

Rod  binders,  202 

Rounding,  33 

Routine  of  binding,  157 

Royal  Society  of  Arts,  investiga- 
tion of  leather,  55 

Rub  or  rub-off,  92,  140 

Russia  leather,  71 

Samson-back  sewing,  113 

Sawing,    18 

Scientific  books,  when  to  rebind, 
131 

Scribner's,  Charles,  Sons  Co.,  re- 
inforced books,  109 

Sealskin,  63,  71 

Second-hand  books,  rebound  be- 
fore using,  108,  120 

Selection  of  binder,  9 

Semi-tar  boards,  84 

Setting  the  square,  36 

Sewing,   19 

,  affected  by  paper,  14 

bench,  20 

on  tapes,  30 

two-on,  23 

Sex  of  animals,  effect  on  leather, 
53 

Shaving  of  skins,  5  7 

Sheep-bound  set  of  U.  S.  docu- 
ments, 54 

Sheepskin,  63 

Sheets,  binding  from,  103 

Shellac,    172 

Shellacking  of  covers,  177 

Signatures,  guarding  of,  17-18 

Size,  basis  for  prices,  89 

Skiver,  65 

Society  of  Arts,  investigation  of 
leather,  55 

,  on  preservation  of  leather, 

62 

Sound  Leather  Committee  of  the 
Library  Association,  55 

Specifications,  87 

,  books  of  illustrations,   100 

,  commercial  binding,   100 

,  fiction,  93 

,  general,  88 

,  juvenile,  93 

,  law  books,  98 


,  music,  99 

,  newspapers,  96 

,  non-fiction,   94 

,  periodicals,  94 

,  reference  books,  98 

-,  reinforced  books,  109 

Split  boards,  44 

cowhide,  66 

sheepskins,  65 

Splitting  of  skins,  57 
Spring-back  binders,  201 
Sprinkling,   32 
Squares,  36 

Stained  labels,  39 
Stitching,  91 
Strawboards,  83 
Sulphuric  acid,  57,  58 
Sumac,  ss,  56,  57 

for  sheepskin,  64 

Sunlight,  effect  on  leather,  58 
Super,  35 

Supplements  to  periodicals,  134 
Taking  apart,   15 
Tanning  materials,  55 
Tapes,  86 

,  sewing  on,  30 

Tar  boards,  84 

Technical   books,   when   to   rebind, 
131 

terms,  225 

Thread,  84,   171 

Tides  of  Barnegat,  reinforced,  109 

Tight  backs,  44 

backs,  mending,   181 

Title  page,  where  to  place,  134 

pages,  vagaries  of,   136 

Tobacco  smoke,  effect   on   leather, 

58 

Tooling,   39 
Tools  for  repairing,  172 

used  in  lettering,   194 

used  in  mending,  172 

Torn  leaves,  mending,   178 
Trimming,   32,  48 
Turkey  morocco,  69 
Turwar  bark,  56 
Two-on,  sewing,  23 

Use  determines  kind  of  binding,  4 
Valueless  books,  discarding  of,  121 
Vaseline  for  leathers,  61 
Vellum,   71 

corners,  48 

Warp,  strength  of,  75 
Water-proof  cloths,  81 
Weft,  strength  of,  75 
Well-bound    book,    how    to    rt 

nize,  49 

Whipstitching,  24 
White  ink,  when  used,  193 
Wire,  Dr.   G.   E.,  on  preserva 

of  leather,  60 
Wool  sheep,  64 


IS 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


A     000  643  984     8 


DATE  DUE 


JUN 


OCT  1  7 


f.  • 


GAYLORD 


PRINTED  IN  U.S.A. 


JNIVERSITY  OF  CA.,  RIVERSIDE  LIBRARY 


